Journal selection criteria:report to the LBNL Library Committee

June 21, 2006

Corwin H. Booth (CSD), Edith Bourret-Courchesny (MSD), Esmond Ng (CRD), Rick

Firestone (NSD)

Budget numbers

• Total journal budget is $850K

• Total indices budget is $145K— this includes WoS, but no further backfiles

beyond 1995— the money for more backfiles would come

from the journal budget— to 1990 = $17,283, to 1985 = $32,832,

to 1980 = $48,382

The lists (all from the surveys)

• The list of journals to keep/obtain— Prerequisite: 10 or more people had to indicate

a need— Final ranking is based on a cost/benefit analysis— We plan to fund all journals in this ranking

within the budget and a decision about WoS backfiles

• The list of journals to drop/not get— There are XX journals that we currently pay for

where fewer than 10 people indicated a need— Certain journals have been marked as “not

required” for the lab’s mission, such as PC World

Concerns and action

• Remember: the list is a guideline, not hard-and-fast, because too many numbers are in flux

• Jane: Need a list of journals on the survey that we aren’t going to get, no matter how many people requested

• LLC: —Need to get direct input from the divisions, starting

now—Need to get feedback about WoS (Google Scholar

anyone?)

• There will be links on the LLC website to this talk and the “master” spreadsheet. As more info is available on the <10’s, it will be added to the spreadsheet.

Feedback

• Feedback will be collected in 2 stages so that the library can respond

• Email feedback to me (chbooth@lbl.gov) and Jane jetierney@lbl.gov) by July 18th and again by Aug. 15.

• I will send reminders around in the first week of July.

Most important details

• “Benefit” is the point score for a journal or package of journals from the survey

• “Cost” is the price of the journal, group of journals, or package

• Breakpoints for a given budget level (WoS backfiles) are given on the spreadsheet… scroll to the bottom

Ranking method

• Depending on the level of WoS backfiles, we do much better using cost/benefit rather than total score

WoS backfile range

Pnts/$$ Points

1990 3 7

1985 9 19

1980 14 27

# Journals to drop given ranking method

Spreadsheet details (1)

A. "Rank by total points" is what it says it is, and is useful when the sheet is sorted by some other column, like "Pnts/$$".

B. The "Total Points" column refers to the specific journal in that row.

C. The Pnts/$$" column uses the total point for a package divided by the dollars for the package in the "Price" column. A "package" is determined in the "package" column, and includes things like the APS package, which is purchased through EBSCO, as well as things like the "Japanese journal of applied physics pkg" which is what I call the single price for the two parts of the Japanese journal of applied physics pkg.

Spreadsheet details (2)

D. The "Total pnts incl. pkgs" gives the sum points total for journals in a given package in the row for that packages highest ranked journal.  Also, if a journal has changed names or been merged with another journal, the combined total is listed here. This assumes (as was indicated on the spreadsheet) that the backfiles are included for the listed price!  The total points ONLY INCLUDES journals on this list, and does not include journals on the "<10 people responded list" this is probably an error, but does not affect the budget cutoff lines, so I think we can live with it for now.

E. "Num. people" refers to the number of people who responded to the survey for a given journal. There is a separate list for journals where <10 people responded, and traditionally such journals are purchased by the divisions that want them, at a decreased rate since they don't require a site license.  Jane is working on getting a list of such journals finalized.

Spreadsheet details (3)

F. The journal name, and the new journal name if it has changed or been merged.

G. "Price if NOT needed for lab mission" is needed until we decide to really remove such files from the list.  The prices are often individual subscriptions so are not accurate for a site license.  These prices are not listed in the "Price" column, as that column is meant to be real dollars to spend. H. "Vendor" has a key which should eventually be replaced by a more descriptive word.  For example "Y" is Elsevier, "Ye" is EBSCO, "Yf" means it is a free journal, etc.  See the comment on the column heading.

H. Best estimate for real price in FY05 $'s.

I. "Package" indicates journal is purchased under a package either from the publisher or through a vendor like EBSCO.  It also indicates the price of a  "pseudo-package" like the Japanese journal of applied physics.

Spreadsheet details (4)

I. "Cumulative cost" is the cumulative cost of that journal with those above it on the list.

L and K. Invoice stuff for the library folk.

Color codes:

Green and Orange are left overs for FY05, but mean, roughly, we get it and we don't

Light yellow: to be dropped if getting WoS backfiles to 1980

Yellow: to be dropped if getting WoS backfiles to 1985

Pink: to be dropped if getting WoS backfiles to 1990