Why is Web Importer failing to retrieve the PDF full text I want?

Mendeley Web Importer attempts to find a legal full text PDF for each reference it detects. We call this process PDF location.

PDF location is an intrinsically difficult task because the real world of document links, access entitlements and authorisation is complicated. Inaccuracies can occasionally happen.

Reasons for this include:

• Unexpected PDFs, for example, where the full text is correctly located but it is an unexpected version such as a preprint.
• Partial PDFs, for example, where the publisher has provided a preview or a sample of a full text but Web Importer mistakenly thinks that it is a complete full text.
• Incorrect PDFs, for example, where poor quality linking data causes mismatches in document metadata and full text PDF links.
• False negatives, for example, where Web Importer fails to detect a PDF that is available.
• Lack of linking data, for example, where a library has purchased access to a given article but Web Importer cannot determine the location of it.
• Lack of entitlement, for example, where PDF location is successful but the provider has refused authorization to retrieve it.

The Web Importer team monitors broken links and attempts to provide as many correct and complete PDF full texts as possible. We are continually working to improve PDF location and retrieval to make the process of accessing and importing references as simple and convenient as possible.