Understanding the Shift to E-Only Journals: Incentives, Barriers, and Strategies for Adoption

1. E-only journals: incentives and barriersorWhy don’t we just do it? Michael Jubb Research Information Network ASA Annual Conference 22 February 2011

2. A no-brainer in straitened times? • estimated global cost-saving in publishing, distribution and access for scholarly journals of £1bn (12%) • 7% fall in publishing and distribution costs • savings to UK libraries of 6-12% of total budget

3. Titles available online

4. UK library holdings

5. UK Usage

6. Identifying the barriers • business issues • publishers’ pricing policies • VAT • structure of NESLi2 and SMP deals inhibits offer of best prices • publishers’ resistance to OA • library/user issues • continuing access • preservation • lack of online backruns • scholarly cultures/conservatism • continuing demand for print • library cultures/conservatism • print-only journals • technical issues • clunky websites/platforms; appropriate copy problems; transfers of titles etc

7. Business issues

8. Pricing policies/structures: (8.6) • ‘chaotic landscape?’ • experimentation • increase in online-only pricing • decline in ‘free online with print’ • prior print expenditure still common as a basis for big deals • online pricing with ‘deeply discounted print’ • need for • pricing that encourages e-only • pricing options easier to understand • librarians to develop a ‘statement of requirements’

9. VAT: (8.1) • three rates in UK • 0% for food, children’s clothes and print (can’t be extended) • 5% for domestic fuel • 20% standard rate • end-consumers cannot recover VAT • but some recovery by universities • campaigns and calls for e-content (especially in education and research) to be treated favourably • European Parliament, EU Commission, Frankfurt Group, STM, EBLIDA • little likelihood of success in near future • e-only needs to be >16.6% cheaper than print+e in order to offset VAT cost • £100/1.2=£83.33 • but cost-savings to HE libraries/institutions likely to be larger than VAT costs • RIN estimated net saving of £11.7m • further studies and tools to define savings to individual institutions/libraries

10. NESLi2 and SMP: (4.9) • JISC Collections an enabler rather than an inhibitor • scope for all-in bloc purchases for regional or other groups • example of SHEDL • incentives and barriers to wider adoption of this model

11. Open access: (4.1) • some libraries rate publishers’ reluctance on OA as a significant barrier • not clear why • separate from or irrelevant to the adoption of e-only approaches

12. Library/user issues

13. Post-cancellation access: (6.7) • a standard licence term? • most large and medium-sized publishers • 55% of small publishers • conditions • maintenance or platform fee: why? • use of physical media: far from ideal • critical issue for • RLUK libraries (others less concerned) • academics • need to explain to publishers why it’s important • default position that costs should be met through standard licence fee

14. Long-term preservation concerns: (5.3) • no national strategy in UK, but publisher agreements with • KB, Portico, CLOCKSS…… • 30% of publishers say they are doing it themselves (?) • most small publishers have made no arrangements at all • has the concern met its high-water mark? • need for a UK strategy………..

15. Scholarly culture and preferences: (4.7) • general view that the culture has changed in past 5 years • disciplinary differences, but don’t overstate them • vocational courses in some areas such as nursing and social care, as well as humanities • further work needed to clarify in which disciplines demand for prit remains strong, and why • issues best dealt with locally

16. Print-only journals: (4.7) • foreign-language journals • small learned societies & universities/departments • advice/assitance needed on moving online

17. Lack of complete backruns online: (4.2) • 95% of publishers claim to make backruns available online • varying completeness • role of JSTOR • lack of funds in non-RLUK libraries to purchase online backruns • overall, not a major barrier

18. Continuing demand for print: (4.1) • reader/author demand • author preference • version of record (eg Law Society) • scholarly coherence of the journal issue • images • quality • rights clearance • society memberships and personal subscriptions • advertising and special reprint sales • impact of digital printing • quality up, cost down • print-on-demand • distribute and print • need for education on technological developments and e-versions of record

19. Librarians wedded to print? (3.1) • a belief of some publishers • evidence?

20. Technical issues: (5.9) • title transfers • publisher or host • implement Project Transfer • access and authentication • Shibboleth or Athens compliance • do it….. • variations in definitions of authorised users • standardise definitions • remote access problems • fresh log-ins from different gateways • differences in procedures and terminologies with different interfaces • standardise procedures and nomenclature

21. Role of subscription agents? • libraries still need them, especially for the small and medium publishers • library concern that e-only puts relationship at risk, and fear of increasing charges • two specific issues • online pricing with deeply-discounted print generally done via agents • insertion of a third party in technical issues between library and publisher

22. Conclusions and recommendations: I • no magic bullets or grand designs • libraries • statement of requirements on pricing models and licence terms • JISC to develop its licence comparison tool to facilitate price comparisons • tools to help libraries identify cost savings • seminars and briefings • publishers • e-only prices >16.6% less than print • post-cancellation online access • compliance and standardisation of technical processes • subscription agents • supply details of subscriptions and technical contacts to publishers

23. Conclusions and recommendations: II • publishers and libraries • make pricing models less complex • lobby on VAT and share experience on reclaiming • develop preservation strategy for UK • investigate what underlies continuing demand for print • help print journals move online • advocacy • address concerns of academic staff

24. Thank youQuestions?? Michael Jubb www.rin.ac.uk