ARLINGTON, Va., March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- While online versions of Nature,
Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Science enjoy widespread
readership in the scientific and medical communities, a recent survey shows
that researchers most often read specialty journals that are closely
associated with their particular field. Additionally, the prestige of a
journal and the size of its overall readership do not always result in
exceptionally high levels of user satisfaction.
"While the future of online journals and their associated business models
have sparked much debate among commercial publishers, libraries and
scientists, the success of a journal ultimately depends on the value it
delivers to its readers," said Bill Kelly, President of BioInformatics, LLC
(http://www.gene2drug.com), an Arlington, VA-based market research and
consulting firm.
To help Scientific, Technical and Medical (STM) publishers identify new
opportunities to create value and gain a competitive advantage,
BioInformatics, LLC has published its latest report Scientific and Medical
Journals on the Web. Based on a 33-question survey of more than 1,900
scientific and medical researchers, this report explores reader preferences
relating to specific forms of content, search functions and additional
information features unique to the online medium. It also measures reader
attitudes towards major issues confronting publishers such as open access,
pay-per-view and CrossRef, while analyzing the results by key market segments
and regions.
According to the report, a great deal of the value derived from online
journals is directly related to the journal's ability to aid the career
advancement of the user. For example, scientists and clinicians do not want
cost to constrain their ability to publish papers or review others' work, and
thus they indicated that fees related to these activities should be relatively
small. This value-consciousness played into respondents' opinions regarding
the open access publishing system where there was a negative bias towards
authors' fees. Despite these opinions, fees are not a key determinant for
authors when deciding where to submit their papers. Prestige -- in the form
of the journal's impact factor and reputation -- and the subject matter of the
journal are more important. "By publicizing impact factors and developing the
image of the journal, publishers can potentially increase both the number and
quality of papers submitted for publication," noted Kelly.
Another opportunity for publishers is leveraging the increased acceptance
of online journals. In fact, roughly 25% of the survey respondents indicated
that it was "not at all" important to receive the print edition of a journal
if they have access to the online version. Additionally, greater use of
online resources in recent years has lessened the importance of promoting new
online journals in paper journals; instead, respondents typically learn about
new journals through references in other articles or by searching for articles
on a certain topic.
In light of these trends, publishers who create a superior online
experience for readers can potentially gain an advantage over their
competitors. "By benchmarking the major journals in terms of satisfaction
with additional information features and searching capabilities, the
information in this report can be used to determine industry best practices
and the key functionalities needed to enhance the value online journals
deliver to their readers," concluded Kelly.
For a complimentary Executive Summary of this report, please visit:
http://www.gene2drug.com/press.91.html
ABOUT BIOINFORMATICS, LLC
BioInformatics, LLC (http://www.gene2drug.com) is a market research firm
that supports marketing, sales and R&D executives in the life science, medical
device and pharmaceutical industries through published reports, custom
research and consulting. BioInformatics sponsors the world's largest market
research panel of scientific customers -- The Science Advisory Board
(http://www.scienceboard.net) -- which consists of nearly 25,000 life science
and medical professionals from 62 countries who participate in surveys that
address emerging technologies, test customer reactions to new product
concepts, measure brand awareness and assess advertising effectiveness.
CONTACT: Alyssa Martin of BioInformatics, LLC, +1-703-778-3080, ext. 12,
a.martin@gene2drug.com
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.
Robin Rothrock, Ph.D.
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=499178
Tamara Zemlo, Ph.D. M.P.H
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=499186
William T. Kelly
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=499193
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