Abstract
Cost and usage have been consistent elements among both serials decision databases and commercial decision support systems, and the cost per use calculation has become a well‐established criterion for assessing electronic subscriptions. However, it is just a numerical value until it can be plotted along several axes related to its components. Mapping these calculated values within and across platforms and subjects allows them to be read through multiple contexts to define what is relatively “high” or “low,” and establishing the relative averages and benchmarks within these multiple contexts informs the difficult serials decisions often faced. This presentation looks at ways in which cost per use, as well as other cost and use calculations, has been incorporated into Virginia Tech’s relational database for serials decisions in order to arrive at an understanding of what those values mean in both the immediate context and the larger picture.
Contextualizing and Interpreting Cost per Use for Electronic Journals
Cost and usage have been consistent elements among both serials decision databases and commercial decision support systems, and the cost per use calculation has become a well‐established criterion for assessing electronic subscriptions. However, it is just a numerical value until it can be plotted along several axes related to its components. Mapping these calculated values within and across platforms and subjects allows them to be read through multiple contexts to define what is relatively “high” or “low,” and establishing the relative averages and benchmarks within these multiple contexts informs the difficult serials decisions often faced. This presentation looks at ways in which cost per use, as well as other cost and use calculations, has been incorporated into Virginia Tech’s relational database for serials decisions in order to arrive at an understanding of what those values mean in both the immediate context and the larger picture.