Elsevier Low-Use, High Cost-per-Use Journals
As detailed in the Provost's letter, in 2003 Elsevier maintained a negotiating stance with the Libraries that failed to meet the Libraries' criteria for control over collection decisions and for the ability to exercise prudent management of rapidly escalating subscription costs.
Elsevier wanted the Libraries to commit to an entire set of journals whereas the Libraries wanted to subscribe to individual titles and to retain the authority to cancel subscriptions as necessary. When the Libraries opted out of the package arrangement, Elsevier raised its 2004 prices an average of 27% per title.
The Libraries will scrutinize Elsevier subscriptions carefully and will exercise its right to make title-by-title subscription decisions. All publications from Elsevier warrant this careful attention since their prices increase at such a rapid rate, well over the rate of inflation. Furthermore, the Libraries spend roughly 1.5 million dollars for Elsevier subscriptions. This amount accounts for 43% of all journal expenditures, but only 8% of the total number of current journal subscriptions. The Libraries need to ensure that these titles are bringing real value to the campus.
Usage data tallied for 2004 and cost per use calculations will inform subscription renewal decisions this year.
- The average use per Elsevier title in 2004 was 226.
- The average cost per use in 2004 was $9.27.
The Libraries have determined that continuing to subscribe to any Elsevier title that was accessed 25 times or fewer in 2004 and costing greater than $50 per use would be imprudent use of our funds. Based on usage data, these titles are not bringing the value to our campus that their prices would indicate. There are 30 titles that meet these criteria.
| Journal | 2004 Cost/Use |
|---|---|
| Annals of Pure and Applied Logic | $1,422.71 |
| Graphical Models | $738.70 |
| Journal of Approximation Theory | $536.52 |
| Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra | $442.51 |
| Reports on Mathematical Physics | $309.33 |
| Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance | $297.06 |
| Information and Computation | $289.77 |
| Physics and Chemistry of the Earth | $252.93 |
| Tissue and Cell | $252.10 |
| International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping | $217.48 |
| Journal of the Franklin Institute | $180.62 |
| Coastal Engineering | $162.58 |
| Journal of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics | $159.16 |
| Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy | $144.78 |
| Marine Micropaleontology | $142.15 |
| Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans | $140.81 |
| Progress in Solid State Chemistry | $139.37 |
| Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables | $111.22 |
| Topology | $100.64 |
| Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics | $92.60 |
| Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics | $86.75 |
| Journal of International Money and Finance | $75.71 |
| Journal of Geometry and Physics | $75.66 |
| Wave Motion | $73.46 |
| Mechanics Research Communications | $72.85 |
| Ore Geology Reviews | $66.82 |
| Historia Mathematica | $66.82 |
| Studies in Educational Evaluation | $62.06 |
| International Journal of Approximate Reasoning | $53.51 |
| Chemical Health and Safety | $52.11 |
The Libraries have also determined that any Elsevier title accessed 10 times or fewer in 2004, regardless of price, is too low-use to justify retention. There is 1 title that meets this criterion.
| Journal | 2004 Total Usage |
|---|---|
| Global Environmental Change - Part B - Environmental Hazards | 8 |
The price of subscribing to these 32 titles in 2004 was $57,763.
These titles will be canceled as of December 2005. University of Maryland researchers will still have online access to past issues of these journals.
Those researchers who have had occasion to use these titles will have the option of desktop delivery of articles, usually within days, through the Libraries' Interlibrary Loan service. Use databases in Research Port to identify articles and initiate online ordering through ILL. The Libraries will monitor ILL requests and use such data in future subscription decisions. Demand will continue to be a guide along with cost-benefit.
