How to Find the Link to an Adobe PDF Document in Firefox

Research scientists commonly publish findings in PDF documents on the Internet.

The portable document format (PDF) is an alternative method for downloading data to your computer from the Internet. Most websites deliver data directly to the Web page in your Internet browser and you can clearly see the link in the address bar. However, when you retrieve a PDF document, the direct link to the file on the Internet is not very apparent. This could be problematic if you need to bookmark the link for future use or cite the direct link in your research references. However, if you use Firefox, you can ferret out the download link to PDF documents.

Instructions

1. Click on the "PDF Document" hyperlink on the Web page. Fill in the radio button next to "Open With" in the dialog box. Select "Adobe Reader" in the drop-down menu. Click "OK." Wait while Firefox retrieves the PDF file from the website. The document will automatically open in Adobe.

2. Click on "Tools" at the top of the Firefox browser. Select "Downloads" from the menu.

3. Right-click on the PDF icon in the "Downloads" dialog box. Select "Copy Download Link" from the menu. The icon is labeled with the title of the PDF document and the Web address of the source website. This action copies the link for the Adobe PDF document to the "Clipboard" in the operating system, similar to pressing "Ctrl" and "C" on the keyboard.

4. Click "Start" on the taskbar in the left corner of the Windows desktop. Type "Notepad" in the search box at the bottom of the "Start" menu. Press "Enter."

5. Place your cursor in the Notepad. Press the "Ctrl" and "V" keys on the keyboard to paste the exact link for the PDF document.

Tips & Warnings

• Navigate to Mozilla's Firefox website or Adobe's Reader website to download and install the applications if you don't already have them on your PC (see Resources).

• Large-sized PDF files may take several minutes to download, depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

References

• Mozilla: Firefox Browser: Tips & Tricks
• Purdue University: Online Writing Lab: Documenting Electronic Sources: Overview
• Microsoft: Windows 7: What Is Clipboard?
• Microsoft: Windows 7: Copy Information Between Files

Resources

• Mozilla: Firefox Help: How To: Opening PDF Files Within Firefox
• Adobe Reader 8: Windows: Display PDFs in Firefox, Mozilla
• Purdue University: Online Writing Lab: Documenting Electronic Sources in Specific Disciplines
• Adobe Reader
• Mozilla Firefox