Document Delivery
Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of content is available?

Our service is particularly strong in science and technical content, and can even obtain chemical abstract information, as well as full text references. However, content is more broadly available and covers financial data, legal documents and numerous other content areas.

Do I need to have a subscription to order a document from a particular publisher?

No, customers can order almost any document and do not have to have subscriptions to the journal from which they wish to order.

How do I know if a specific journal is available?

Almost any publicly available journal can be ordered. If a journal is unavailable, you will be notified by email.

Is e-mail delivery available for documents?

e-DocLink, e-mailed links to PDF downloads, are available for a growing number of document titles. However more than half of the document orders will be filled by paper copies, either because an electronic copy was unavailable, or because the publisher prohibits distribution of electronic copies.

Can I make copies of documents obtained through this service? Can I use ERA?

No. If you want multiple copies to share within your organization you must order multiple copies through the document delivery service. Some publishers require electronic copies to have "digital rights management" software embedded, to ensure that customers only use legally obtained document copies.

Can I order patents from your web products?

Yes, patents can be ordered from the Order (or Basket) Button on every Dialog web interface. See http://www.dialog.com/products/sourceone/ for more information about ordering patents through Dialog.

How do I add document delivery access to my custom Toolkit site?

Instructions are available on http://toolkit.dialog.com. You can provide a link to the order forms.

How much do documents cost?

Charges for each article consist of a base service fee ($12) plus copyright royalty or copyright-cleared purchase charge (average $15-$25/article), plus shipping charges as applicable.

How much are shipping charges?

Dialog offers a variety of shipping options including Mail, Fax, and Fed-Ex. Where available, e-DocLink (e-mailed links to PDF downloads) are a shipping option as well. We deliver documents via First Class Mail or International surface mail (for a fee of $5 for single standard sized documents. Large documents or multiple document orders) will be charged (based on the number of documents and weight of the total shipment). Fax delivery is available at $1 per page, and Fed-Ex is $15.50 or (based on service level and weight if greater).

Is there a Rush Service? How much does it cost?

Express service is available for an additional $10 fee ($22 total service fee). Express orders are typically shipped within 1-2 days by your chosen delivery method. Some orders may take longer, depending on the availability of the publication. Express orders are given priority in routing.

How long will it take for my documents to arrive?

Most documents are shipped within 2-5 business day by the delivery method you have selected. Documents are shipped as they are obtained. Since some requests may take longer than others to retrieve, you may receive a package from us that contains only a portion of your order. You can be assured that we will continue working on the remainder of your order and send the outstanding items straightaway.

(Note: This is 2-5 days to obtain the document, plus delivery time. 2-5 day document procurement + US Mail 2 day delivery = 4-7 days for delivery). However, some documents may require more retrieval time; if you specify a date when you need the document by in the order, we will contact you to let you know if it will not be filled in time.

What is a copyright royalty? Why do I have to pay it?

Every article and document is "owned" by its creator or publisher. The owner has the right to collect fees every time their document is photocopied, delivered electronically, or otherwise reproduced. Any time a document is reproduced for commercial purposes (for use by business or to be resold), the copyright holder is entitled to a royalty payment. While individuals may be allowed to make copies for personal use under "Fair Use" guidelines without a royalty, this does not apply in a commercial setting. Note: ERA does not apply to document delivery items.

How much are copyright royalties?

The amount of copyright royalty is set by the copyright owner and varies with the publication. Average copyright royalties range from $15-$25, with some being more or less than the average.

What is the status of my order?

The Knowledge Center can locate specific order number or research by customer id or order number. Call or email for assistance.

Why is my order on Copyright Hold? Can I get the article?

An order goes on copyright hold when the price of the document exceeds the price limit on your account. When that happens, we send a notice telling you how much the document is likely to be and put the order on hold in our system. If you would like to proceed with the order at the given price, we can reactivate the order for you. Note: the Knowledge Center will be able to allow it to proceed.

What if my article can't be found?

If they are unable to find the article because of an incorrect citation, minimal effort will be made to find the correct information (ex., misspelling). If more research would be required to find the document, you will receive an email. You may have the option to choose to have additional research done, which would be done for a minimum $18/document charge.

In the event that the document is unavailable altogether (ex., copyright not available), you will be contacted as well.

Can I cancel my order?

It is difficult to cancel an order once placed; this is why you are asked to verify your order several times before the order is sent. Orders are sometimes "filled", i.e., copyright obtained within minutes. We can only cancel an order if is has not already been filled. If you do need to cancel an order, please contact Dialog's Knowledge Center as soon as possible to see if this is possible.

I didn't receive an article. Can it be resent?

Yes. If the article has been filled and it has not been received within an appropriate amount of time for the shipping method, we can reactivate the order and obtain it again. Allow 10 days for US Mail shipments; 2 weeks for UK and Western Europe; 2-4 weeks for other International destinations. Many Shipping Departments are screening mail more closely and some delays occur at the customer site. After a reasonable time has elapsed, contact the Knowledge Center to have a document resent.

The article is poor quality (usually faxed). Can it be resent?

Yes. Contact the Knowledge Center to have a document resent, and describe what is wrong with the article, so that it is reactivated appropriately. For instance, if fax quality is poor because of small type or graphs/charts, you can request another method of delivery.

Are all articles available via e-DocLink?

Due to copyright law, we can only deliver articles electronically when the publisher has granted explicit permission to do so. e-DocLink allows electronic delivery of articles from thousands of the most widely requested publications, but it is not available for all publications.

How do I specify that I want email delivery (e-DocLink)?

In the web shopping cart: When creating your default delivery method, you are only presented with the delivery options we know work for all documents: fax, mail, and express mail. However, if a document you select is available electronically, a message will alert you of this option when placing the order.

In the command language interface: e-DocLink is presently not an available order format. You may request documents be delivered by e-DocLink, if available in this format, in the special instructions field.

Do I need special software to use e-DocLink?

Since you are downloading a document in Adobe's portable document format (PDF) you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.05b or above, to receive, view, or print the document. A link to an Adobe plug-in is provided on the target page. Adobe Acrobat Reader is available for free download at www.adobe.com.

I get a blank screen when I try to download the article? What do I do?

Sometimes the settings on the Adobe Reader need to be changed to download the article. Under the EDIT menu, select PREFERENCES then OPTIONS tab. Uncheck the box which says: "Display PDF in Browser". The Dialog Knowledge Center will reactivate the link for you so you can try to download the article again. If the setting changes do not allow you to download the article, Adobe will need to be removed and re-installed on your computer.

Does the link to download the PDF ever expire?

Yes. Once an email containing the link is dispatched, you will have 72 hours (3 business days) to download it.

What if I don't download the PDF within 72 hours?

If a link isn't downloaded within the time frame, it will expire. To access the PDF again you will be prompted to 'reactivate' the link. Once the link is reactivated, you will be given another 72 hours (3 business days) to download. You can reactivate the link a maximum of two times. Should you fail to download your PDF within 72 hours of the second reactivation, clicking on the link will produce a prompt to contact the Dialog Knowledge Center for assistance.

What happens if the download fails?

If the download fails, contact the Dialog Knowledge Center to reactivate the link, send a new link, or simply send a print copy using traditional delivery methods.

Can I forward the email containing the link after I've downloaded the PDF?

No. Once an article has been downloaded, the link cannot be used again. Forwarding the link to another user will result in an error page. If you wish to obtain additional copies of an article for yourself or others, you may order another copy from our order page. Due to copyright restrictions, each copy of the document is treated as a separate order, with the appropriate copyright royalties and fees being charged.

Can the option for e-DocLink be turned off?

Yes, during check-out in the shopping cart. There are several opportunities in the shopping cart process for electing not to receive individual articles via e-DocLink. Should you opt-out of e-DocLink delivery for specific articles, they will be shipped using your default delivery method.

Who can I contact for more questions about e-DocLink?

Dialog's Knowledge Centers can be counted on to provide answers to questions about e-DocLink as well as other Dialog products and features. You may contact us at or 1-800-3 DIALOG