ALPSP: Journal Market Evolving, Content Surging

Andrew Albanese -- Library Journal, 10/21/2008

A recent survey conducted by the UK-based ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers) confirms much of what we already know about the journalsmarket: it is a rapidly evolving and challenging environment. Perhaps the biggest challenge, however, is managing the vast—and increasing—number of scholarly articles produced every year. Among the key findings in this the third survey since 2000 designed to track publisher behavior and policy: 

• Publishers, especially large and commercial publishers, are launching new journals at a higher rate than in 2005.
• Pricing models are still complex and varied, although more publishers now offer online-only subscriptions.
• The proportion of publishers offering optional open access to authors has grown from 9% in 2005 to 30% in 2008.
• Fewer publishers require authors to transfer copyright to the publisher, and the growth of self-archiving, institutional and subject-based repositories has prompted “a rethink” on authors’ rights issues.
• Most publishers impose embargoes on final articles included in repositories.
• Web 2.0 has a long way to go: just 20 percent enable collaborative tagging, and less than 15 percent have implemented things like forums, blogs, or podcasts for their journals.

While none of the findings are especially surprising, the survey adds numbers to the growing anecdotal evidence, presenting a snapshot of the marketplace for digital journals over the last decade. In 2008, notably, the electronic journal has near fully matured, with 96.1% of STM and 86.5% of arts, humanities, and social science titles now accessible online. 

“The scholarly communication industry is now accustomed to continuing change,” the survey report states, noting that publishers are responding to new demands, from dealing with public access mandates to offering more “generous” licensing terms and looser policies on new, digital uses, findings the survey’s authors say “dispel some of the misunderstandings that have been voiced about journal publishing, and show how publishers’ policies have changed in response to advocacy groups.”

Numbers returned in the survey may reflect a change or softening in some publisher policies—however, at a time when university presses are suing an academic library over e-reserves and a publisher-backed copyright bill in the U.S. threatens public access mandates, the numbers may not prove terribly persuasive. Still, the survey offers solid data to inform what will surely be an ongoing discussion. “It may be less than wise to try to predict the future,” the survey report notes. “Nevertheless, it is possible to observe some of the trends in scholarly communication, and provide some speculation.”

The survey, carried out by Laura Cox of Frontline Global Marketing Services and John Cox of John Cox Associates, was conducted of 400 journal publishers, both commercial and not-for-profit, consisting of ALPSP and other major association members, with a response rate of over 65 percent, including most major journal publishers. The report is free for ALPSP members, and for those interested, can be purchased on the ALPSP site.

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