From the European University Association (EUA):
EUA has published the outcomes of its first Big Deals Survey, an original initiative pursued by the association to gather more information about large scientific publishing contracts from the perspective of universities (known as ‘Big Deals’).
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The data were gathered between July 2016 and June 2017. Data were anonymised and aggregated, thus respecting the confidential nature of the information provided by respondents. The survey focused on the functions and working process of consortia, as well as on the conditions of contracts for big deals concerning scientific periodicals, databases and e-books. The results of the survey show that consortia broadly represent the interests of relevant stakeholders from the university and library sectors and are largely driven by researchers’ needs.
The outcomes of the survey revealed, for the first time on a European scale, the magnitude of spending in big deal contracts with scientific publishers. Stark variations in the expenditure on big deal contracts across different European countries were also identified. In addition, the results of this survey point out the fact that university leadership is only directly involved in the negotiation process with publishers in about one-third of consortia, while funding for these contracts comes largely from the university and public sectors.
Direct to Full Text Report (32 pages; PDF)
Hat Tip: LaList
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