ArXiv now offers papers in HTML format (blog.arxiv.org)

Article summary

ArXiv now offers papers in HTML format in addition to PDF, making research more accessible to users with disabilities. The HTML version is generated from TeX/LaTeX submissions and is still in an experimental phase, with some papers not converting correctly. The goal is to eventually make the entire arXiv corpus available in HTML. This change is intended to improve accessibility, particularly for users with reading disabilities.

Main themes

• accessibility
• HTML vs PDF
• font preferences
• reading experience
• mobile vs desktop
• academic conventions
• user preferences

What commenters say

• The two-column layout of PDFs is preferred by some for reading on larger screens, but can be cumbersome on smaller screens.
• The HTML version is more readable on mobile devices and allows for easier referencing of specific sections.
• Some users find the font used in PDFs to be more readable than the font used in the HTML version.
• The choice between one and two columns should be a user preference, not a fixed design decision.
• The use of two columns in PDFs is a common convention in the physical sciences, particularly for displaying equations.
• The HTML version is seen as an improvement for screen reading, as pixels are not a limited resource like paper.
• Some users override the font in their browser because they find the default font choices to be poor.
• The availability of HTML and PDF versions caters to different user preferences and needs.