Elsevier journals as of 1.1.2017
- E-Media
The current situation
The electronic journals of the publisher Elsevier licensed by Dortmund University Library are temporarily no longer accessible as of January 1, 2017. Only the back volumes of about 100 journals are exempt from this.
Background
In view of immense price increases, universities and research institutions in Germany have jointly taken the initiative under the umbrella of the Alliance of Science Organizations to negotiate nationwide licenses for literature with the major scientific publishers. TU Dortmund University joined this initiative, entitled DEAL, and in February 2016 gave the negotiating group headed by the President of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) the mandate to negotiate a contract with Elsevier. In a circular letter dated Dec. 1, 2016, the negotiating group informed about the preliminary failure of the negotiations and requested all universities not to conclude any local contracts for the time being that would weaken the negotiating position of the Alliance of Science Organizations. Negotiations will resume in 2017.
Further information on the failure of the negotiations and the consequences can be found in the statement of the Alliance of Science Organizations of Dec. 2, 2016. Among other things, it states here: "After several months of intensive negotiations, the publisher Elsevier has submitted an initial offer to the Alliance of German Science Organizations for a nationwide license for access to scientific publications. The Alliance is convinced that the offer does not comply with the principles of open access and fair pricing. Despite the current return on sales of 40 percent, the publisher continues to rely on price increases [...]. The publisher rejects more transparent business models that would be based on publication performance and make publications more openly accessible."
Elsevier journals to be available via interlibrary loan starting in 2017
Essays from journals published by Elsevier that are no longer available can be ordered via interlibrary loan starting Jan. 1, 2017.
Questions?
Antje Blomeyer will be happy to answer your questions.