Help - Technical information
Browsers
As you need to pay for some of the electronic copies of records, you need to make sure that your credit card details are safe.
- Your browser must support SSL (secure sockets layer) using 128bit encryption.
- This allows your data to be encrypted so that no one can intercept it.
- You will not be able to purchase digital images unless you have this level of encryption.
Most browsers support 128bit encryption - to find out what level of encryption
your browser has, read the section on security.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
- The electronic copies that you download are supplied in PDF format.
- You need a software program called Adobe Acrobat Reader to open PDF files.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader is available for most operating systems.
- You can download the program free of charge at Adobe's website
- For more information on using Adobe Acrobat Reader to download files, see the information further down the page.
Cookies
You need to have cookies enabled to use DocumentsOnline. A cookie is small amount of data that is transferred to your browser by a Web server and can only be read by the server that gave it to you. It functions as your identification card, recording your passwords, purchases, and preferences.
It cannot be executed as code or deliver viruses.
Most browsers are initially set to accept cookies. You can set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie, giving you the chance to decide whether or not to accept it. For some Web pages that require an authorisation, cookies are not optional; users choosing not to accept cookies will probably not be able to access those pages.
How to enable and disable browser cookies? Read enable and disable browser cookies
JavaScript
You need JavaScript to be enabled in order to be able to access all the content of this site. Most browsers support JavaScript. Read the detailed information about JavaScript further down the page.
Glossary
We have created a glossary designed to help you understand the terminology used on our site.
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- Your images will not download automatically
- Once you have "checked-out" your items you will be shown a receipt page
- You can download your items immediately or do it later
The images will either be in PDF or JPG (JPEG) format.
To download your items immediately:
Click on the save icon in the Acrobat toolbar to save the file to your computer
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1. Make sure that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. It is available free from Adobe's website
2. Click on the link to your item
3. The Acrobat pdf file will open in your browser window
4. To save the file to your computer use the save icon in the Acrobat toolbar
5. Once the item has been saved to your computer, you can double click on it to open it
6. Repeat steps one to five for each of your remaining items
JPG/JPEG files:
1. Click on the link to your item
2. The JPEG file will open in a new browser window
3. To save the file to your computer, use the "File" menu and then "Save As" option
4. Once the item has been saved to your computer, you can double click on it to open it
5. Repeat steps one to four for each of your remaining items
- You are also emailed confirmation of your purchase/order.
- The email has a link to a special part of the site where you can download your files.
- You have 56 days in which to download your files
- To download your items follow the steps as above
We try to keep file sizes to a minimum. Sometimes, when a large item has been requested which cannot be separated into smaller files this will result in a large file size.
Download times are dependent on your connection to the internet and your ISP but the following table should give you a rough guide.
File size |
56k |
ISDN |
| 60k |
1 min |
< 1 min |
| 1-3 MB |
10 min |
5 min |
| 4-11 MB |
40-60 min |
15-30 min |
Yes, you have 56 days from the date of your confirmation email in which to download your images, so if necessary, you can download images more than once.
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PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is a file format developed by Adobe. These files can be read by Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available, free of charge, from Adobe's website. Acrobat Reader is available for most computer systems.
You can select text and graphics in your pdf document and paste them into other file types. You should remember that the images are supplied for research purposes and are for your personal use, not publication.
JPEG is an image format which is used to compress photographic images and reduce their file size. It stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. The file extension on Microsoft Windows systems is ".jpg".
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A "cookie" is a computer text file that a website places on your browser directory of your hard drive. It is a small piece of information that a website can store on your web browser and later retrieve. The information that cookies collect includes the date and time of your visit and your navigational activity.
Why do I need to enable cookies to use this service?
The cookie remembers what is in your shopping basket.
You can set your browser to decline cookies but if you do this you will not be able to use this service.
The cookie does not contain any personal information about you.
If you choose chargeable items, our system will use temporary cookies to support secure business transactions and allow you to be passed to and from an external secure financial site.
To enable cookies in Microsoft Internet Explorer for PCs:
- Select the Tools menu
- Select Internet Options
- Select the Privacy tab
- Move the slider to a lower level of privacy.
To enable cookies in Microsoft Internet Explorer for Apple Macs:
- Select the Edit menu
- Select Preferences
- In the section "receiving files" there is a dropdown menu with options. Make sure that you have either "Never Ask", "Ask for Each Site" or "Ask for each Cookie" selected.
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JavaScript is a cross-platform scripting language developed by Netscape which is used by web developers to build dynamic menus, create forms etc.
You need JavaScript to use the Advanced Search form and also to add items
to your shopping basket. In other words, if you do not have JavaScript, you will be able to use Quick Search to search the collections, but you will not be able to download any items.
To enable JavaScript in Internet Explorer for windows:
- From the "tools" menu choose "internet options"
- Click on the "security" tab (usually second from the left)
- Click on the "custom level" button
- Scroll down the page until you see the heading "Scripting". Beneath it is another heading, "Active Scripting". Make sure that you click on the button next to the word "Enable".
- You will probably have to close your browser and re-open it for the change to take effect
To enable JavaScript in Internet Explorer for Apple Mac:
In OSX:
- From the Explorer menu choose Preferences
- Click on Web Content
- There should be a heading on the bottom right of the screen saying Active Content
- Check the box next to Enable Scripting
In OS9
- From the Edit menu choose Preferences
- Click on the heading Web Browser
- Click on the link that says Web Content
- There should be a heading on the bottom right of the screen saying Active Content
- Check the box next to Enable Scripting
To enable JavaScript in Mozilla Firefox:
- From the "Tools" menu select "Options"
- Click on the "Content" tab
- Put a tick in the "Enable JavaScript" box
- Click "OK"
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It is very important that you keep your credit or debit card details safe. Read through this section on security to check that your browser is secure and how to update it if it isn't.
How do I know that my data is secure?
Your credit or debit card data is secure because it is encrypted using 128bit encryption. When you connect to the secure financial part of the service you will see a padlock either at the bottom of your screen, or to the right of the web address bar.
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a technology developed by Netscape Communications Corporation. 128bit encryption is a higher level of encryption.
Most browsers can support 128bit encryption, however, just because your browser can support it, it doesn't mean that you have it installed. You can download free upgrades from Microsoft's and Mozilla's website.
If you have Internet Explorer...
Internet Explorer lists the security in its Help menu, under "About Internet Explorer". Next to the section marked "Cipher Strength" it will say 128-bit if you have the 128-bit secure browser.
If you have Mozilla Firefox...
Click on "Tools" and then "Options". Click on "Preferences", then click the "Advanced" icon. Click the "Encryption" tab. Ensure that the "Use SSL 3.0" and "Use TLS 1.0" are check marked.
Your credit card details are encrypted so that no one else can read them. However, if you are accessing the internet on a shared computer, in a library or internet café for example, you might want to take the following additional steps:
If you are using Internet Explorer:
Stop Internet Explorer from saving encrypted pages to disk
1. Click on Tools in the menu bar at the top of the screen
2. Select Internet Options
3. Click on the Advanced tab
4. Scroll down to the Security section
5. Make sure that the "Do not save encrypted pages to disk" option is ticked
6. Click on 'OK'
Whichever browser you are using, clear the cache:
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6
1. Click on Tools in the menu bar at the top of the screen
2. Select Internet Options and click on the General tab
3. On the Temporary Internet Files portion of the screen, click the Delete Files button
4. Note that it is not necessary to select the Delete all offline content option
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 7
1. Click on Tools in the menu bar at the top of the screen
2. Select Internet Options and click on the General tab
3. Under Browsing history, click Delete.
Mozilla Firefox
1. Select the Tools menu, then Options
2. Click the Privacy tab
3. Click the "Clear cache now" button
4. Click OK
And finally...
Always close down the browser when you have finished browsing.
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Help section 
