Online journal statistics

[Fred Friend <ucylfjf@ucl.ac.uk>]

I would encourage publishers to see the availability of good usage
statistics as an opportunity for improving their links with academia
rather than as a threat of more cancellations. It is quite true that
libraries might use low-use statistics in that way, but even if the
statistics are not provided by publishers librarians will probably have a
fair idea of which titles come at the low end of the use-range. Rather the
low-use of some titles could become an opportunity for dialogue: why are
these titles not being used? Publishers want to produce titles that are
read, and the more they can talk to librarians and users about why certain
titles are not used, the better their overall product is likely to be and
therefore the higher their reputation in academia. Open-ness can benefit
us all!

Fred Friend
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Frederick J.Friend, 
Director Scholarly Communication,
University College London,
Gower Street,
London WC1E 6BT,
England.
Telephone 0171 504 4529 or  mobile 0774 762 7738    
Fax           +44 171 380 7043
E-mail       ucylfjf@ucl.ac.uk   or    f.friend@ucl.ac.uk
Web         http://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarly-communication/
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