The page numbers in a downloaded PDF often differ from the journal website because the PDF may include the journal's continuous pagination (the "official" numbering across an entire volume or year), while the website displays article-level page numbers that restart at 1 for each individual article.
Why This Happens
Most journals use continuous pagination for their print editions, where page numbers run sequentially across all issues in a volume. For example, if Issue 1 ends on page 145, Issue 2 starts on page 146. When you download the PDF, it typically preserves this official numbering for citation purposes. However, the journal's web viewer often shows article-level pagination starting at page 1, making it easier to navigate a single article without worrying about its position in the volume.
Common Scenarios
Preprints vs. final versions: If you downloaded an author's preprint or accepted manuscript, the page numbers won't match the published version at all. Preprints lack the journal's formatting and pagination.
Early online publication: Articles published online before the print issue is finalized may initially have temporary page ranges (like "1–12") that change once the full issue is compiled.
Repository copies: Institutional repositories or databases like PubMed Central sometimes reformat PDFs with their own pagination systems, which won't align with the journal's official numbering.
How to Find the Correct Page Numbers
Always use the citation information provided on the journal's website or in the PDF's first page, which lists the official page range. This is what you should include in your references. If you're managing many papers, tools like WisPaper's My Library automatically extract and verify metadata including correct page numbers when you upload PDFs, saving you from manual cross-checking.
For citation purposes, the official continuous pagination is what matters in reference lists—this ensures anyone can locate the exact article in the print or archival version of the journal.
