There has been a large increase in journal collection costs at the University of Natal Libraries, Durban. Mr Jeethend Ranjeeth at the Division of Information Technology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban for assistance with the design and submission of the online questionnaire.
Chapter One : Introduction
- Introduction
- The journals crisis
- The current situation at UND Libraries
- Purpose of the study
- Objectives of the study
- Research questions
- Hypotheses
- Comparative analysis
- Costs
- Benefits
- Access
- Definitions used in the study
- Assumptions
- Methodology
- Significance of the study
- Limitations and delimitations
- Structure of the study
- Summary of the chapter
The largest component in the cost of running a library is likely to be the cost of personnel. A limitation of the study is that journal costs in full-text databases such as EbscoHost are not included in this study.
Chapter Two : Background to the study
- Introduction
- University of KwaZulu-Natal
- University of Natal, Durban Libraries
- E G Malherbe Library or Main Library
- Barrie Bierman Architecture Library
- Edminson Library
- Eleanor Bonnar Music Library
- G M J Sweeney Library
- Medical Library and Doris Duke Medical Research Institute
- Facilities and services
- The budget
- The Library budget
- Faculty of Science
- The Internet
- The scholarly journal
- The electronic journal
- Summary of the chapter
But as users, they gain access to journals primarily through the third group – the library. The library purchases journals from the fourth group – the publishers, usually in response to inquiries from researchers.
Chapter Three: Literature review
Introduction
To calculate the cost of a library service, all cost components must be identified. Very few cost-effectiveness analyzes of network or consortium participation or resource sharing have been published.
Theoretical framework
If certain facts or variables appear to be causally related, theory can help explain the nature of the relationship. Odlyzko claims that the inertia of the scientific community is partly responsible for the journal crisis.
Methodologies employed in the literature
The aim was to identify journals with less use and offer an alternative to the faculty in the form of fast delivery of documents and electronic versions of journals. A key component of the questionnaire addressed a critical event: the last reading of a scientific article.
Trends
- Trend one: electronic journals may not replace print journals any time soon; pricing is the biggest threat to print subscriptions
- The serials crisis
- Pricing models
- Future pricing models
- Different pricing structures
- Trend two: electronic journals will not be substantially cheaper than print. Mergers and partnerships among publishers and
- Mergers
- Access : licensing agreements
- Partnerships : consortia
- Access model : PEAK Project
- Trend three : middle-people can still make some money
- Trend four: usage studies
- Trend five : document delivery as a way–out of high serial costs
- Trend six: archiving and back-files
- Trend seven : changing role of the journal in the scholarly communication
The aim was to improve scientific communication by effectively using the new technologies to 'correct' the market for scientific articles. This makes the electronic version of the magazine essentially as difficult for the library as the paper version. Due to the nature of e-journals, price negotiations would be the primary activity of the library purchasing department in the future.
Gate costs should be factored into the price of e-journal access. The cost of interlibrary loan, the level of use and the cost of journal subscription should be assessed.
Chapter Four : Research methodology
Introduction
Research design
One aim of the study was to conduct a cost analysis of the print and electronic Science journals to which EGM Libraries subscribe, comparing the costs of access to print journals and the costs of full-text access to electronic journals. The second objective was to determine which of the two, journal ownership or full-text electronic access, is more cost-effective at the UND libraries. Fowler 1984: 1) The method used for this research was surveys using questionnaires of the user populations and interviews using a structured interview schedule.
Powell states that “after identifying the characteristics of the population, it becomes important to estimate their proportions in the population. Fowler The responses of the faculty's academic staff and students were obtained through this method.
Populations
- The journals
- Acting University Librarian - Ms Nora Buchanan
- The users
- Postgraduate students
- Academic staff in the Faculty of Science
- Triangulation
- Literature review
- Documentary sources
- Analysis of journal data
- Interview with the Acting University Librarian - Ms Nora Buchanan
- Survey of the user populations
- Questionnaires
This study aimed to explore the behavior of users of print and electronic magazines. Powell Disadvantages of the questionnaire are that personal contact between the researcher and the respondent is eliminated. In the survey instrument for this study, an important feature of the electronic questionnaire was that the participant could only enter data where the researcher indicated.
A cover letter was sent with the questionnaire with instructions, the purpose of the survey and the potential usefulness of the study. Changes were made to the instrument and the research plan as a result of the pre-test.
Method of analysis and coding of data
The questionnaire was sent out during the last semester of the 2003 academic year, on 25 November 2003, and respondents were given two weeks to respond. Fourteen days later, the questionnaire was sent out again, and respondents were given a week to respond. A week later, the questionnaire was sent out for the third and final time, giving respondents four weeks to respond to the three inquiries.
During the interview with Ms. Buchanan, her responses to the questions were summarized and later analyzed. An analysis of the responses was carried out by examining all the responses and determining similar responses and numerically coding them accordingly.
Evaluation of the method
It establishes the meaning only in what is explicit in the words used and what is implied by their use from a range of alternatives. In all research that elicits information from a study population, and especially when it depends on the population to remember behaviors they have performed in the past, the factor of human error must be taken into account. Despite the researcher's best efforts at clarity and comprehensiveness, the following problems were evident.
Therefore, follow-up was difficult and the survey had to be sent to all respondents in all three cases. The online questionnaire was used to minimize the effects of subject bias, observer bias, and observer error.
Summary of the chapter
Chapter Five: Findings of the study
Introduction
Background to the survey
40% and that a response rate of around 30% is reasonable, as in the case of this study with an overall response rate of 28%. A possible reason for the low response in this study was the timing of the questionnaire. But due to the impending merger of the University of Natal with the University of Durban-Westville, examination and graduation dates have been brought forward.
Academic staff have been busy grading exams and final results for the graduation ceremony which took place in early December. However, given the size of the study population, the researcher believed that the response rate could be used with some caution to generalize to the entire population.
Questionnaire results
- Demographic data for academic staff and postgraduate students in the Faculty of Science, UND
- Gender and age profiles
- Primary research field
- Primary responsibility at the University of the academic staff
- Library usage
- Dependency on the library
- Computer expertise and usage
- Computer functions and programs
- Online resource experience
- Journal experience
- Journal or non-journal material
- Print journals
- Electronic journals
- Archiving – print or electronic
- Choices between print journals and electronic journals
- Interlibrary loans
- Online publishing
- Summary of the survey results
Most postgraduate students indicated that they were somewhat dependent on the library. The range of responses regarding use is not the same for academic staff. The results for academic staff show that 21 (55%) of them thought that print journals would coexist with electronic journals, seven (18%) thought that they would complement electronic journals and four (10%) thought that they would be replaced by electronic magazine.
The results showed that the majority of academic staff and postgraduate students used the journals on a weekly basis. The majority of academic staff and postgraduate students had been using e-journals for one to two years.
Analysis of the journal data
- Science print journal subscriptions for 2002 to 2004
- Science electronic journal subscriptions for 2003 to 2004 Table 24 presents the electronic journal subscriptions from 2003 to 2004. These are the
- Difference in number of print and electronic journals from 2002 to 2004
- Average price of print journal subscriptions from 2002 to 2004
- Average price of electronic journals from 2003 to 2004
- Effect of the funding formula
- Summary of the analysis of journal data
The disciplines of Biology, Geography, Geology, Computer Science and Statistics had no subscriptions to electronic journals in the period 2003-2004. It is considered an electronic journal by the Library and is therefore included in the table. The intention in Tables 26 and 27 is to illustrate that from 2002 to 2004 there was a large change in the average price of printed magazines.
The percentage change was almost the same for print and electronic titles in Physics during the period 2003 to 2004. The journal's cost data indicate that from 2002 to 2004 the average price of a print journal increased significantly each year for various reasons.
Interview responses of Acting University Librarian - Ms Nora Buchanan
- Budget
- The materials budget
- Journal expenditure
- Print journals versus full-text electronic journals
- Journal cancellations
- Unique costs of journals
- Additional costs of journals
- Choice between print and electronic journals
- Advantages and disadvantages of print and electronic journals
- Archival issues
- Cost comparisons between print and electronic journals
- Infrastructure and demands
- Staffing issues
- Number of staff
- Staff time spent on electronic journals
- Journal selection
- Journal acquisitions and management
- Cataloguing and classification
- Archiving practice
- Providing access to end-users
- Access policy
- Charges for access
- Usage
- Barriers to usage
- The future
- Summary of interview responses
Ms. Buchanan responded that the Library pays for print and electronic journals by subscription only. About 60% of the e-journal titles to which the library subscribes are available in the library catalog. Ms. Buchanan responded that the library evaluates its use of e-journals on an ad-hoc basis.
Ms. Buchanan responded that the use of journals, both print and electronic, will not cost the library more. The final question was asked to determine what Ms. Buchanan thought about the future of e-journals in the library.
Summary of the chapter
Electronic journals bring additional costs to the materials budget, but this is outweighed by the benefits they provide to library users. Mrs. Buchanan would prefer to subscribe to electronic magazines and replace printed magazines with electronic ones in the future. Higher costs for e-journals arise from the level of staff required to acquire, maintain and process e-journals.
Responses from Ms. Buchanan's interview revealed that there are unique and additional costs to magazines. Her answers showed that electronic journals bring additional costs to the material budget, but these are outweighed by the benefits for users.
Chapter Six : Interpretation of the results
Introduction
The use of printed magazines has developed over several centuries and during that time these magazines have evolved in specialized ways to fulfill their main activity: This is not the first time in the history of publishing that the printed magazine has come into question is being asked. There are many factors such as cost, circulation of material, copyright and storage of magazine collections that drive the demand for the printed magazine.
Improved image quality and search interfaces have resulted in significantly increased demand for e-journals and reduced use of print volumes. This change in demand allows libraries to cancel subscriptions to print journals to achieve savings.
Benefits of print journals
- Readability of the print journal
- Browsability of the print journals
- Portability of the print journals
- Quality of presentation
- Shelf arrangement of the print journals
According to the researcher, another important aspect of the portability of printed journals compared to e-journals is the convenience factor. The presentation quality is good for print magazines in terms of graphics, images and text. Of the 38 academic staff, 29% liked the quality of the presentation and 35% of postgraduates liked this feature of the print journal.
In the interview with Ms. Buchanan, she indicated that an advantage of print magazines is shelf placement compared to e-magazines. This contrasts with the layout of the UND libraries, where all journals on a particular subject are grouped together.
Benefits of electronic journals
- Searching facility
- Browsability
- Full-text searching
- Availability – 24 hour access
- Accessibility
- Functionality
- Other benefits of e-journals
- Subscription costs
- Funding formula
- Space utilisation
- Infrastructure and digital technology
- Licensing restrictions
- Supplies and services
- Archiving and perpetual access
The survey revealed that 52% of the academic staff and 56% of the postgraduate students liked the availability of e-journals. The functionality of the e-journal refers to the ability to download, its manipulability and interactivity features. Only 44% of the academic staff and 36% of the postgraduate students appreciated this benefit of the e-journal.
The study showed that the scientific staff and the PhD students have a fairly good command of the computer and its functions. The library must never assume that this responsibility lies safely in the hands of the publishers.
Cost of providing the service and impact on staff time
- Purchasing and organizing the material
- Administration and management
- Systems staff
- Technical Services
- The purchasing of the journals
- Organising the journals
- Searching and training the users
The migration to an electronic journal collection has impacted staffing and costs in every department in the library. A number of departments in the library are involved in the purchase or acquisition of journals and the organization of journals in the library. Since there is no record of the number, the catalog does not alert the library about the missing number.
Shelf operations will be affected by the advent of e-journals, when journals are no longer physically stored in the library. The Information Services Department devotes more time to instruction and outreach activities necessary to increase academic staff and student awareness of the library's resources and services.
Cost of providing the alternative
Despite the increasing number of users born into the computer age, there are still many users who need help with basic computer skills, even those with. The library now helps users connect to the electronic infrastructure and learn the intricacies of the many interfaces, helping them actually find the information they need. But this high number of loans for 2003 indicates the state of the periodical collection at UND Libraries.
There will be some changes to the process for electronically notifying users of item availability. A possible reason is that the users do not check whether the titles are available in electronic form, and the interlibrary loan department also does not check the electronic availability of the titles.
Comparison of the costs of print journals and electronic journals
