Guidelines for Shifting Journals from Print to Electronic-only Access

December 18, 2002

Introduction

These guidelines are for use when deciding to move from reliance on a print journal subscription to electronic-only access. You may also find useful guidance by reviewing the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) Statement of Current Perspective and Preferred Practices for the Selection and Purchase of Electronic Information, http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia/2001currentpractices.htm.

1.      Content

• Determine if the print and electronic versions have equivalent content. It is not unusual for the electronic version to lack some material commonly found in the print version, such as advertisements and employment listings. Consider print usage, user (reader) expectations, and alternatives to the missing print content among other criteria in making a decision.

2.      Scholarly Sharing

• The e-journal’s license should allow for fair use and scholarly sharing of content.

3.      Presentation & Printing

• The e-journal should provide access to digitally-generated print page images, preferably using Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).
• The e-journal should support printer-friendly formats.
• Journals printed in color should provide high-quality color images for the electronic version.

4.      Archiving & Ownership

• The e-journal’s license should provide for permanent access to the content purchased under the subscription. 
• Publisher or e-journal licensor should hold appropriate rights for permanent online display of content.
• Online access via a journal aggregator should not be considered a substitute for either print or online subscription.

5.      Access Management

• Institutional site license should allow networked access via Internet Protocol (IP) Recognition, or some improved successor authentication options, for all authorized Yale University users.
• The license should allow e-journal access within the library for members of the public.

6.      Reliability & Availability

• Publisher or e-journal licensor should provide prompt technical support (as needed) and maintain a reliable, stable interface with performance clauses in the license to compensate Yale University in the event of extended downtime.
• Online content should be available before or no later than publication of the print version.
• Each separate e-journal title should have its own unique, durable URL for access to the publication.

7.      User expectations and usage statistics

• Evaluate journal collections and communicate with primary journal user groups to receive feedback about e-only plans, and educate users regarding the benefits and challenges of moving to e-only access.
• Consider the characteristics and usage of each print title when deciding on e-only access, for example, some titles because of format and/or usage may lend themselves to being browsed in print.  
• Publisher or e-journal licensor should provide timely, accurate and usable usage statistics for each e-journal under subscription or trial.
• Consider the journal’s prominence within its discipline before cutting print subscription, use ISI’s Journal Citation Reports or similar resources as appropriate.

© 2000-2002 Yale University Library Daniel Dollar Last modified: 12/19/02

http://www.library.yale.edu/ecollections/eonlyguide.html