Investment vs. value (RE: Costs of open access publishing)

["Rick Anderson" <rickand@unr.edu>]

> Established publishers tend to assume that the various elements of 
> "value-added" that they put into their journals are all wanted, and 
> valued, by one or both of their two markets (authors and readers).  
> This may not be so. 

I always chuckle, bitterly, when a sales rep tries to justify a price
increase by telling me how much the company has invested in improvements.  
I give the same speech every time: "You may have increased your investment
in the product, but that doesn't mean you've increased your product's
value.  You can tell me how much you've invested, but only your customers
can tell you whether your product is now worth more.  If you want to
maximize the fit between investment and value, consult with your customers
BEFORE you spend money on 'enhancements.'"  (Then I tell them that I'm
available to provide such consultation -- for a fee, of course.)

----
Rick Anderson
Dir. of Resource Acquisition
University of Nevada, Reno Libraries
(775) 784-6500 x273
rickand@unr.edu