Study on how OA may replace journal subscriptions

Knowledgespeak reports a study on Open Access journals and its possible impact on journal subscriptions.

Excerpt: ‘A study of librarian purchasing preferences commissioned by the Publishing Research Consortium (PRC), UK, has revealed the factors that could prompt a librarian to substitute journal subscriptions with open access (OA) materials. According to the study titled ‘Self-Archiving and Journal Subscriptions: Co-existence or Competition?’ the length of the embargo period and peer review are key determinants in a librarian’s decision to maintain, or not, journal subscriptions. The study raises questions about previous claims that librarians will continue to subscribe to journals even when some or all of the content is freely available on institutional archives.’

The full report from the Publishing Research Consortium is available at ‘Study finds factors that could lead to cancelled subscriptions’.