Information for Readers

Geological Materials Research (GMR) papers are prepared in portable document format (pdf) and can be viewed with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (4.0 or later).  If you do not have a copy of Acrobat Reader on your computer, you should download one from the Adobe Systems site before trying to read GMR papers. It is recommended that you use the latest version (5.0) of Acrobat Reader if possible. However, you can read the titles and abstracts of GMR papers with your web browser, even if you don't have a copy of Acrobat Reader.

To view a complete GMR paper, click on the PDF button at the bottom of the Abstract page.  The result will depend on your web browser configuration. It is recommended that you configure your browser to download a copy of the pdf file to your hard disk, and then open it directly with Acrobat Reader. This is recommended because the size of some papers is large enough to make real-time browser viewing slow or inconvenient. Also, Acrobat Reader works more reliably than the Acrobat browser plug-in. For some papers, you may still wish to be connected to the web when reading the paper because some special features, such as links to movies or other files, require web access.

If your browser is configured to use the Acrobat Reader Plug-In, the pdf document will open in a new browser window.  Because papers with lots of images can be large, it may take a while for the pdf file to open if your Internet connection is slow. If you wish to download the pdf file without trying to reconfigure your browser, you can do so easily as follows: On a Windows computer, right click on the PDF button at the bottom of the Abstract pag eand choose "save target as" from the window that opens. On a Macintosh computer, hold the mouse button down on the PDF button at the bottom of the Abstract page and choose "Download Link to Disk" from the window that opens. After the file downloads, open it directly with Acrobat Reader.

Using the Acrobat Reader

Papers in GMR are optimized for viewing and reading onscreen, although text and static graphic can be printed for offscreen reading. If you read a paper onscreen, you will be able to take advantage of the Acrobat navigation tools. To quickly move from text to figures or tables and back again, readers should use the bookmarks, hyperlinks, and Acrobat Reader navigation buttons.  When the paper is opened, a list of "bookmarks" should appear to the left of the text.  Selecting a bookmark will change the view quickly to the selected part of the text, a figure, or a table. The triangular "next page" and "previous page" buttons move the view from page to page.  The triangular buttons with a vertical line move the view to the beginning or end of the document.  The arrow buttons move the view to your previous location in the document.  Where figures or tables are mentioned in the text, a mouse click on the word "Figure" or "Table" will bring the figure into view.  Click on the arrow button to return to the page you were reading. You may find the magnifier button useful for looking at the details of figures.  Try out the buttons and you will see how easily and quickly you can move around a pdf document. 

Printing a Paper

The pdf format used for text and static figures in GMR will print very nicely at high resolution on postscript printers. Readers may print GMR articles for their own use if they wish.  GMR articles may be duplicated freely for educational purposes.  However, GMR articles may not be duplicated for sale or profit of any kind without the written permission of the Mineralogical Society of America.

Other Plug-Ins

To view the special features of some papers, additional browser plug-ins or software may be needed. Most commonly, Quicktime (available free from Apple) is needed to view movies and Quicktime VR files. Many browsers will already be configured with Quicktime.


If plug-ins or software other than Quicktime are needed, instructions for obtaining them will be given on the Abstract page. An important goal of GMR is to use technology to enhance communication, extending the boundaries of scientific publishing. In some cases, this means that the readers and authors must expand their own technological expertise.

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