Publications - archive of Transactions

Answers to your questions

Q: What is available on-line?
A: All the papers in Transactions, from 1920 to 2000 (including book reviews and records of summer meetings).

Q: Why are papers after 2000 not included?
A: Because the most recent printed copies of Transactions are available in paper form, and can be bought form the Newcomen office. (They will be added in to our on-line archive in due course).

Q: What does it cost to use the service?
A: Each paper you download costs £10 - plus VAT (EU only). There will be no charge until you have chosen the title you want, and opted to download the whole paper (see below). Payment is by credit card.

Q: How do I know whether I am going to want a particular paper?
A: You can browse the papers free of charge, downloading just the first page of each paper. You will not be asked to pay till you have chosen to download a particular paper in full.

Q: How do I choose between high-resolution and low-resolution copies?
A: If you have a slow line, you can opt to take a lower-quality copy of the paper, which will download more quickly. If there are illustrations, you may prefer to opt for the higher-quality version which will take longer to load.

Q: How long will a paper take to download on average?
A: An average paper consists of about 17 pages (some are shorter of course, and a very few run to 40 pages or more). If you have an average modem it should take roughly 2 minutes to download a low-resolution version, and about 4 minutes for a higher-resolution copy. If you have a broadband connection it will be much quicker.

Q: How do I read the file when I have downloaded it?
A: It will be in Adobe Acrobat format (ie a PDF file format). Your computer will probably have an Acrobat reader already installed, but if not you can download the latest Acrobat Reader from the Adobe website.

Q: What am I allowed do with the paper once it is downloaded?
A: You may store it on your computer and print out copies for your own use whenever you like. Other than that, the same copyright conditions apply as with any book you might buy.

Q: How do I find a paper that covers the subjects that interest me?
A: You can search for topics by typing in a combination of words (in the same way that you do in Google, for example). But bear in mind that if you are too specific you may not get the best results.

Q: My search resulted in several titles. How do I know which is best?
A: The computer will try and work out which paper contains the "best fit" page. This is just the page that holds the greatest number of occurrences of your search terms - it won't necessarily mean that it is the paper that will best meet your particular needs.

Q: What if I don't find the paper useful? Can you refund the charge?
A: Unfortunately not. The service is entirely automated, and we don't make any claims about the "fitness for your purpose" of any paper. However, if the download fails to complete properly, you should contact SomCom (+44 (0)1608 643302), email: support@somcom.co.uk

Q: I don't want the bother of downloading a paper - can't I just order it from the Newcomen Office?
A: Yes you can, but you may have to wait quite a while, as the office is only staffed part time. It will cost you more to get a paper from the office, as there will be postage and packing to pay too. We feel that we can offer the best service via this online archive.