"E-Journals: Their Use, Value and Impact - Final Report"

http://web.resourceshelf.com/go/resourceblog/63369

January 18, 2011 17:57

From a Summary by Catherine Gray:

This two-part report takes in-depth look at how researchers in the UK use electronic journals, the value they bring to universities and research institutions and the contribution they make to research productivity, quality and outcomes.

Journal publishers began to provide online access to full-text scholarly articles in the late 1990s, triggering a revolution in the scholarly communications process. A very high proportion of journal articles are now available online 96 per cent of journal titles in science, technology and medicine, and 86 per cent of titles in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

It’s clear that e-journals have given researchers an unprecedented level and convenience of access to knowledge in scholarly articles, but what effect have they had on the ways in which researchers seek information? Do they provide good value for money to higher education libraries and what are the wider benefits for universities and research institutions?

Our Phase One report examines how researchers interact with journal websites and whether enhanced access to journal articles has led to greater productivity, research quality and other outcomes. It finds that researchers are savvy when it comes to using e-journals, finding the information they need quickly and efficiently, and that higher spending on e-journals is linked to better research outcomes.

Based on an analysis of log files from journal websites and data from libraries in ten universities and research institutions, our report starts to build a clear picture of how e-journals are shaping the information landscape a picture that we’ll add to as our research in this area continues.

The aim in the Phase Two report was to test and examine the reasons underlying the behaviours which were identified in Phase One.

NEW--JANUARY 18, 2011 Phase II Report--Full Text (32 pages; PDF)
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9_KwJdDOiGrMWVmMzdkN2ItOGU4My00M2U5LThmZmUtZjlkMDg2OTYzZjNi&hl=en

Published April 2009 Phase I Report--Full Text (52 pages; PDF)
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9_KwJdDOiGrYjRjYzQ5YmUtNTcyMy00MmE0LTlkNDQtNDY0YTJlZjA5NTQ4&hl=en

Additional Materials (All Documents PDF)

E-Journals: Their Use, Value And Impact - Phase One Briefing

Working Paper: Aims, Scopes And Methods

Working Paper: Journal Spending, Use And Research Outcomes

Working Paper: Bibliometric Indicators

Working Paper: Information Usage And Seeking Behaviour

Working Paper: Has Wider Access To The Literature Impacted Upon Bredth Of Citation?