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Helping Level the Playing Field: The Impact of Digital Technologies on Large and Small Publishers

Helping Level the Playing Field: The Impact of Digital Technologies on Large and Small Publishers. ASEE 2001 Conference & Exhibition “E-Journals—Impacts & Possibilities” Monday, June 25 Albuquerque, New Mexico. What’s Leveling the Playing Field?. • In the long run, technology is driving

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Helping Level the Playing Field: The Impact of Digital Technologies on Large and Small Publishers

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  1. Helping Level the Playing Field:The Impact of Digital Technologies on Large and Small Publishers ASEE 2001 Conference & Exhibition “E-Journals—Impacts & Possibilities” Monday, June 25 Albuquerque, New Mexico

  2. What’s Leveling the Playing Field? • In the long run, technology is driving • Diversification • Decentralization • Democratization • Decline of monoculture, gigantism, and information control

  3. What’s Not Leveling the Field? • At least in the short term, publishing both print & online means higher costs • We can’t offer the “Big Deal” • Just as librarians find it difficult to work with a large number of publishers to establish electronic access (especially those outside consortia), small publishers find it very difficult as well • Learning curve • Lack of field sales staff • Lean staffs and resources

  4. AIChE’s Early Steps • AIChE Journal on ScienceDirect ( pressure from volunteers, no AIP or IEEE options at the time, nonexclusive; contract ends this year) • Developed a dynamic web site and a strong user community • For March, 2002, an average of more than 3,400 user sessions a day • These sessions lasted an average of more than 19 minutes • Digitized all periodicals

  5. AIChE’s Next Steps • Offer an online version of our print “package plan” • Through our E-Advisory Committee, work on archiving, priorities for digitizing the back file, etc. (We need LIBRARIAN representation!) • Decide between the IEEE Xplore model (the kitchen sink) and the ACS ChemCenter model (peer-reviewed journals and edited magazines) • Integrate features (news, discussion forums, software demos) of an inherited commercial site • Consider the best way of structuring digital journals

  6. How Will Tomorrow’s E-Journal Look? What Do Members Want? • As soon as publishable (members rate last) • Hot links to citations (moderate to low interest) • Searchable archives (members rate first) • Enhanced graphics—zoomable figures, animations, and video (moderate to low interest) • Working equations (very high interest) • Layers—short “traditional” abstract, extended abstract clickable to more detailed information (similar to the traditional journal paper), details & other supplementary material (high interest)

  7. What We Plan to Offer • Information gateway • Aggregator of our own material (by topic) • Sophisticated search • Self-service, 24/7 • Implications - Shifts in staffing - Need new database and fulfillment operations

  8. Changing Relationships • We need to better understand and act on the new relationship between librarians and journal publishers created by digitization… • licensing and access control • consortia • archiving (publisher, library, third party) - pricing implications from infrastructure costs • Is there a trend toward greater cooperation and partnerships among association publishers? Between librarians and publishers?

  9. AIChE & SPARC • An ASEE ELD session in 1998 was the “spark” that crystallized thinking about commercial journal pricing • Mel DeSart & Kate Thomes led an ELD Work Group, that gathered data which convinced AIChE we should consider working with SPARC on journal development • We’ve had the lesson of ACS/SPARC experience with Organic Letters

  10. AIChE & SPARC • Productive discussions and planning that could result in the launch a rapid communications journal in chemical engineering by January 2003 - build on strength of the AIChE Journal… - provide an affordable alternative… ...While better serving our members and the library community

  11. In Conclusion • E-journals are leveling the playing field long-term, while redefining that playing field • Pricing models, archiving models, licensing practices, and access issues will continue to evolve—there are no silver bullets and no pat answers • We must share information—you can help us learn from our mistakes

  12. In Conclusion “In heaven, there are many mansions and in hell there are many houses— all of them publishing.” - A. L. Kennedy

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