Lancet 200 Years of Articles Online (1823-1995)
The back issues of The Lancet (1823-1995) are now available online. The confusing part is that they are not at http://www.thelancet.com/ they are housed on Elsevier's ScienceDirect http://www.sciencedirect.com/.
"The Lancet Backfiles are available through Elsevier's ScienceDirect. All ScienceDirect customers are able to search the backfiles collection, the titles and abstracts as they become available, at no extra charge. Backfiles Subscribers are entitled to full-text access. References are linked to the full-text articles, and the collections are fully CrossRef enabled."
It appears from this information that ScienceDirect customers must subscribe seperately to the backfiles to get full text access.
I always think it is a shame that there are publishers such as Nature Publishing Group and Elsevier who make backfile access so expensive, when there are other publishers such as Journal of Biological Chemistry (back to 1905) and roughly 200+ journals through Highwire Press that offer free access to backfiles. Don't get me wrong I don't think journal publishers should be uncompensated for their backfiles. I think the APS Journal Legacy Content which is available online only and purchased separately offers a very logical and reasonable way to access the backfiles. Institutions pay a one-time charge of $2000 for online access to the backfiles (1898 to 1996-1998 depending on the journal), there is no maintenence fee, and you retain access if you cancel your subscriptions to APS.
Of course look how far we have come regarding online access. When I first started library school, online access was in its infancy.
3 Comments:
The distinction is simple: the primary purpose of APS's publishing program is to maximize access the literature of their discipline (without putting themselves out of business); the primary purpose of Elsevier's publishing program is to maximize return on investment. APS would consider it to be antithetical to their mission to charge more than necessary to keep the operation afloat financial; Elsevier would consider it malfeasance and dereliction of their duty to their shareholders to "leave money on the table" by charging less that what the market will bear.
According to our Elsevier rep, the Lancet backfiles are a one-off fee for permanent access. Maybe your library gets a different deal? They are also very reasonably priced, at least compared to the journals!
T Scott, you are right the publishers are beholden to their mission whether it be their society members or their shareholders.
Excellent point that I missed. Thank you.
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