Commercial publishers : friends or foes?

1
Commercial Publishers Friends or
Foes? Françoise Vandooren Libraries Université
Libre de Bruxelles Ethical Forum  Scientific
publication in the internet era , University
Foundation Brussels, 21 October 2002
2
Some troubling facts

• Core journals
• Impact factor
• Inelastic market
• Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
  internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
  21 October 2002

F. Vandooren
3
Association of Research Libraries, USA, 1999.
F. Vandooren
Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
21 October 2002
4
Some troubling facts

• Core journals
• Mergers
• Concentration of journals
• Competition diminishes
• Side effect of price increase
• Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
  internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
  21 October 2002

F. Vandooren
5
Some troubling facts

• Core journals
• Mergers
• Difference between commercial and non
  commercial publishers
• Cost per 1000 characters
• Cost/quality ratio
• Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
  internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
  21 October 2002

F. Vandooren
6
Factors of difference between commercial and
non-commercial publishers
Domain Average subscription price Average cost per 1000 characters
Economics 4,64 3,91
Neuroscience 3,56 6,50
Physics 2,35 2,53
Based on the University of Wisconsin-Madison
study, 1999.
F. Vandooren
Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
21 October 2002
7
Cost/Quality ratio of journals (in US Cents)

• Average ratio of average cost per 1000
  characters / impact factor

Domain Commercial publishers Non commercial publishers Factor of difference
Physics 15,34 8,21 1,87
Economics 42,62 11,55 3,69
Neuroscience 8,69 0,64 13,63
Based on the University of Wisconsin-Madison
study, 1999.
F. Vandooren
Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
21 October 2002
8
Consortia and big deal licenses

• Users
• Reduced group prices
• Electronic access to greater number of titles
• Price cap
• Cancellation of title not allowed!
• Publishers
• Fixed income
• Increasing visibility and availability of their
  journals
• Question impact on usage?
• Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
  internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
  21 October 2002

F. Vandooren
9
Consortia and big deals
OhioLINK consortia
From OhioLINK Snapshot 2001 online
F. Vandooren
Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
21 October 2002
10
Some tracks for changes?

• Core journals revise use of impact factor
• Big deals provide even wider access
• Support alternative journals and new models of
  communication
• Expected result stimulate competition
• Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
  internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
  21 October 2002

F. Vandooren
11
References and Further reading

• The talk is based on a report by the speaker
  containing many references
• Françoise Vandooren, Le système de communication
  scientifique enjeux et perspectives, Libraries
  of Université Libre de Bruxelles, December 2001.
• lthttp//www.bib.ulb.ac.be/csd/communication-scient
  ifique1.docgt
• Price studies
• George Soete and Athena Salaba, Measuring
  Journal Cost-Effectiveness  Ten Years After
  Barschall, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Libraries, 1999. lthttp//www.library.wisc.edu/proj
  ects/glsdo/cost.htmlgt
• Journal Price Study  Core Agricultural and
  Biological Journals, Cornell University, November
  1998. lthttp//jan.mannlib.cornell.edu/jps/jps.htmgt
  
• Mark J. McCabe, The Impact of Publisher Mergers
  on Journal Prices  An Update, ARL  A Bimonthly
  Report, n207 , dec. 1999 1. lthttp//www.arl.org
  /newsltr/207/jrnlprices.htmlgt
• Background paper
• Jean-Claude Guédon, In Oldenburgs Long Shadow
  Librarians, Research Scientists, Publishers, and
  the Control of Scientific Publishing, ARL
  Membership Meeting 2001, lthttp//www.arl.org/arl/p
  roceedings/138/guedon.htmlgt
• Further reading
• Jean-Claude Guédon, Beyond Core Journals and
  Licenses The Paths to Reform Scientific
  Publishing, ARL Bimonthly Report 218, October
  2001. lthttp//www.arl.org/newsltr/218/guedon.htmlgt
  
• The market for scientific, technical and medical
  journals, A statement by the UK Office of Fair
  Trading, September 2002 lthttp//www.oft.gov.uk/new
  s/publications/leafletordering.htmgt Media
  category, OFT 396.
• Ethical Forum  Scientific publication in the
  internet era , University Foundation Brussels,
  21 October 2002

F. Vandooren