Barriers to an exclusively electronic journal environment

1. Laura Cox, Frontline GMS Ltd Barriers to an exclusively electronic journal environment

2. The Study Objectives • ALPSP Survey (2008): over 91% of journals online. • Widely held that we should maximise digital benefits and eliminate print cost burdens. • Examine the barriers to an exclusively electronic only journals environment in UK HEIs and how to overcome them. • Literature search, SCONUL stats, publisher data, programme of interviews.

4. 12 Embedded library print culture • Massive transition print to online required redeployment, retraining and new skills. • No evidence that “print culture” still exists. Two practical issues: • Reluctance to “sell” to academics • Non-activation of online access

6. 11 Reluctance to engage with Open Access • Many publishers didn’t mention OA or didn’t think it was relevant • Academics and libraries welcome OA • Majority of libraries shared publisher view: OA is a different issue - not directly relevant Reluctance to engage with open access is not in itself a barrier

8. 10 Continuing demand for print • Some authors, editors and readers prefer print • Concerns over image quality and digital rights • Regulators and professional bodies mandates • Advertising /reprints (Medicine, Engineering) • Professional bodies to be targeted to change mandates to online. • Educate academics about quality of images. • Use digital printing and Print on Demand

10. 9 Availability of digital backfiles • ALPSP survey found 95% of publishers make backfiles available – 37% retro-digitised • Lack of availability and funding in libraries • RLUK libraries found it more important than other institutions • UKRR is an important reassurance Availability of online backfiles does not prevent migrating current print subs to online

12. 8 Scholarly culture • Closely related to continuing demand for print • Faculty see the benefits: • 24/7 availability • Remote access • Better discovery tools • More journals available to them • Steady migration to online in all disciplines • Work patterns already evolving, little needs to be done other than at a local level

14. 7 Print only journals • Small but significant segment of scholarly journals only available in print: • Small presses and small societies in Humanities • University departments • Foreign language titles • Diminishing problem Help needed to move journals online

16. 6 NESLi2 opt-in deals • Opt-in deals do not attract publishers’ best prices. • Bloc purchase achieves best prices but provide libraries titles they don’t need. • UK wide consortium unlikely to work due to competition between universities. • JISC Collections is a great enabler, as seen with SHEDL and could assist in the creation of new regional all-in consortia.

18. 5 Long term preservation • Concerns about robustness of preservation and digital obsolescence. • No national strategy, range of projects and systems. • Confidence has increased due to UK LOCKSS Alliance, Portico and UKRR. Considered in more details in Charles Beagrie’s paper for JISC.

20. 4 Technical issues • Changes in publisher and platforms • Access and authentication and log-in problems • Difference in interfaces and nomenclature • Standard terminology for user log-in • All publishers implement Shibboleth and Athens • Definition of authorised users should include as standard: walk-in use, affiliated staff • Publishers sign up to UKSG Project Transfer

22. 3 Continuing access • Right to continuing access is becoming standard, but is far from universal. • Problems: Maintenance fee, Physical media • Major problem for RLUK libraries, post-1992 much more relaxed. • Publishing trade bodies and UKSG should continue to tell publishers why this is important.

24. 2 VAT • The zero rate cannot be extended! • EC re-examining VAT directive with a view to equalise print and online publications. • Nothing is going to change overnight. • There are measures that publishers can take: • Effect a differential between print and online pricing sufficient to mitigate VAT

26. 1 Publisher pricing policies • Libraries face a plethora of pricing models. • Not all publishers even offer online only pricing. • Publishers cannot discuss pricing policy. • JISC and RLUK could bring together library groups to create a statement of requirements: • Integrate pricing models with other terms such as authorised users, continuing access. • Publishers must create online only pricing that offsets VAT, this is a 17% difference.

27. Publisher pricing: mitigating VAT Journal A Print subscription: £150 Online subscription: £150 inclusive of VAT • £150 /120% = £125 • £125 x 20% = £25 VAT • £125 + £25 = £150 • £25 is 16.67% of £150 (17% rounded)

28. Conclusions – things to do • Every publisher’s online only price is 17% less than print. • Promote the benefits of moving to e-only with briefing notes and seminars. • A clear national strategy for long term preservation. • Identify professional and regulatory bodies which only recognise print and address that issue. • JISC, RLUK and SCONUL develop a joint statement of requirements on pricing models and licensing terms including continuing access and authorised users.

29. Thank you Laura Cox Frontline GMS Ltd laura.cox@frontlinegms.com Report can be downloaded at: http://www.rin.ac.uk/our-work/communicating-and-disseminating-research/transitions-scholarly-communications-portfolio-res