EResources Subscription for the University System: An initiative from UGC

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E-Resources Subscription for the
UniversitySystem An initiative from
UGCINFLIBNET

• By
• T. S. Kumbar
• INFLIBNET
• kumbar_at_inflibnet.ac.in

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Overview

• E-resource subscription scope users, resources
• Evolving model
• Implementation mechanism
• Pilot work
• Further initiatives

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Who are our users?

• Universities
• Total No. 273
• UGC assisted 150
• INFLIBNET supported 142
• These 142 universities - core group to begin
  with
• Colleges
• More than 14,000
• Govt.- 20, Private 80

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What is the journal collection base?

• Current journals collection
• Average number of titles subscribed 250
• 60 titles Indian publications
• Few universities do not subscribe to any foreign
  journals
• Abstracting/ indexing journals (e.g)
• Chemical Abstracts 25
• (98 Chemistry Depts)
• Biological Abstracts 9
• (101 Biological Sciences Depts)

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Why is this problem?

• Known universal problem
• Increase in price
• Fluctuation in conversion rates
• No proportionate funding to sustain the
  collection
• What is the way out?
• Large number of journals are available in e-form
• Access is provided on the Internet through web
• Subscription under consortia/ national site
  licensing

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• Therefore the initiative of
• e-resources subscription from
• UGC INFLIBNET in the 10th
• Five year plan to provide wider and larger
  access to electronic journals and databases

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What does e-resources subscription cover?

• Full text of journals
• Bibliographic databases like Chemical Abstracts,
  Psychological Abstracts
• Other sources eventually

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An evolving model

• Provides access to and supports only electronic
  version
• Not to be linked with print subscription
• Perpetual access to subscribed resources to be
  ensured
• Archival access for back issues to be covered
• Provision for DDS/ILL
• Few print subscription proposed
• Subscription for minimum 3 years initially
• To be reviewed at the end of three years

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How is it being implemented?

• In phase manner
• Universities 30
• Subject Four
• Resources journals bib. data bases
• Major funding (up to 80) from UGC
• INFLIBNET to administer, maintain and monitor
• Potential resources to be identified through
  experts committees involving universities
• Participating university to sign an MoU with UGC
  INFLIBNET
• Start with a pilot work in select disciplines

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Major issues involved

• Identification of universities to be served
• Identification of resources to be provided
• Identification of potential publishers/vendors/agg
  regators

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The pilot work

• To start with 4 disciplines identified
• Biological Sciences
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Physics
• A national committee formed in August 2002
• Committee has already met twice
• Three sub-committees have also been formed
• Deadline - 28th February,2003
• Interaction with 142 universities initiated

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Identification of universities

• Selection from 142 universities using following
  criteria
• Universities having
• departments in selected four disciplines
• number of faculty members
• students
• number of PhDs
• NAAC accredited
• network infrastructure
• research contribution in terms of
• publications

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Identification of e-resources

• Bibliographical / abstracting databases proposed
• BIOSIS Previews Biological Sciences
• Chemical Abstracts Chemistry
• INSPEC Physics allied areas
• MathSciNet Mathematics

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Identification of e-resources

• Selection of full text e-journals
• Complex issue
• User base is large(150 universities)
• Difficult to get inputs from universities
• User information
• Existing journal collection information
• Large number of journal titles
• Too many in the game
• Publishers
• Vendors
• Aggregators

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Identification of e-resources

• Selection of full text e-journals
• Sources/ tools used
• Journal Citation Report (ISI)
• Journals covered by Current Contents
• Journals research institutions
• Journals database at INFLIBNET
• Comprehensive core list of journals prepared
  based on the above sources

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Identification of potential publishers/aggregators
others

• Publishers
• Non-profit making
• University Presses (e.g. OUP,CUP)
• Professional Societies (e.g. ACS, IoP)
• Research Organizations (e.g. CSIRO, NRC)
• Scholarly Publications initiatives (e.g. SPARC)
• Commercial publishers
• Aggregators

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Immediate tasks

• Selection of the following
• (by end of December 2002)
• Number names of universities
• Bibliographical databases
• Core list of journals
• Potential publishers/vendors/aggregators

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What next?

• Expand to other disciplines this initiative in
  the areas of Humanities Social sciences

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Summary

• E-subscription - major initiative of UGC
  INFLIBNET
• Identification of potential users resources is
  a complex process
• Model in the evolving phase
• Started on a pilot basis for four disciplines
• Success depends on university participation
  co-operation
• Long term support from Govt. UGC required