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Re: Libraries Urge Justice Department to Block Cinven and Candover



Anthony Watkinson wrote:

"However an example of a purchase that did not result in price rises has
been pointed out to me: it is the purchase of Gordon & Breach by Taylor &
Francis. I have not checked this and indeed (as an independent researcher) it is very difficult for me to do so, but perhaps someone on this list
could see if I am correct in assuming that Gordon & Breach prices were not
put up dramatically by their new owners.

Phil Davis responds:

The reason that Gordon & Breach journals did not rise after they were
acquired is that simply they were by far the most expensive journals in
their market. Based on the analysis by Henry Barschall, G&B was the most
expensive publisher when analyzed by cost per 1000 characters, as well as
cost per impact.

This is documented in:

Henry Barschall. The Cost-Effectiveness of Physics Journals. Physics Today. July, 1988 p.56-59

Henry Barshall. The Cost of Physics Journals. Physics Today. Dec 1986 34-36

At 10:02 PM 6/14/2003 -0400, Anthony Watkinson wrote:

Having made the statement earlier that McCabe's thesis falls down if he
assumes an inexorable link between purchase and price rises, it is clearly
not enough to explain that this is not my own experience and I hope to be
able to produce evidence (in time!) to back up my assertion. This would be
evidence to back up my own memory of what was done by Chapman & Hall -
nothing more general.

However an example of a purchase that did not result in price rises has
been pointed out to me: it is the purchase of Gordon & Breach by Taylor &
Francis. I have not checked this and indeed (as an independent researcher)
it is very difficult for me to do so, but perhaps someone on this list
could see if I am correct in assuming that Gordon & Breach prices were not
put up dramatically by their new owners.