What is the difference between HTML and PDF?

Full text of articles comes in several formats: HTML, PDF, Text+Graphics, etc. Here are some of the distinctions.

HTML

Plain text pulled from article One continuous web page; no page numbers Usually no graphics, charts, etc. Choose HTML only if no other full text is available

PDF

Opens in Acrobat Reader Just like a photocopy - you see exactly what was in the print journal Has page numbers and all graphics Sometimes called "Page Image" This is the best full text format, but it is not always available

Text+Graphics

Like HTML format, text is pulled from article Graphics are also pulled No page numbers It does not look just like it did in the print version, as with PDF This is the best choice if no PDF is available, or if the file size of the PDF is too big for your purposes