Proposal

The FAU Libraries are requesting $18,525, for the 2013 Springer Journal Archives, Behavioral Science Collection, consisting of access to 63 journals, from volume 1 issue 1 through the last issue of 1997.

The FAU Libraries currently subscribe to the Springer Journals package, which provides access to a package of over 1,600 current Springer journals, from 1998 to present. These journals are well used; over 26,477 articles were accessed by FAU in 2012, and 150 million articles were downloaded worldwide.

Springer has been publishing for 170 years and is a leading global, scientific and medical publisher, and also publishes in the fields of technology, and business.  Springer, partnering with more than 500 scientific societies, published more than 2,200 English language journals and more than 8,000 new book titles in 2012. A total of 1,539 Springer journals were listed in the 2012 Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports® (JCR), a recognized authority for evaluating journals.

Springer Journal Archives are delivered online and available 24/7. The content would be accessible to all students, whether on campus or through remote access via EZproxy. The journals and articles in the Collection will be easy to discover through the library catalog, SearchWiSE, A to Z journal list and librarian-created research guides. Users will also discover this content through subject databases, and Internet search sites such as Google and Google Scholar, and other popular library databases such as ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science. The articles are in PDF format and are easily printed, e-mailed, and downloaded to read on a cell phone, laptop, or any computer.

Target student population to be served by the project

The collection is of potential benefit to the entire FAU community, including undergraduates, graduate students and faculty. Because FAU will gain perpetual rights to the journals, the backfiles will meet the study, instructional, and research needs of the FAU community into the future. The content aligns with FAU’s course offerings as the broad subject area of behavior science would benefit students enrolled in courses offered in Psychology, Criminal Justice, Social Work, Public Administration, Political Science, Women’s Studies, Nursing, Education, and Business programs. These departments enroll approximately 17,000 students in total. Having this content available online will especially benefit the over 2,000 full-time distance learners, and over 10,000 students enrolled in at least one course delivered fully through e-learning. 

Benefit to Student Learning

Springer is recognized as a leading academic publisher, producing scholarly journals that are relevant and appropriate to university student course work and faculty research. The Springer Behavioral Sciences Journal Archives should be especially useful to students enrolled in FAU’s largest program areas. The content will directly support student learning by providing material for course papers, projects, and study.

Space Administration

No space is needed for the project. The Springer Journal Archives, Behavioral Sciences is online and is directly available via Springerlink online platform.

Springer Journal Archives, Behavioral Sciences: $18,525.00

The requested funds will cover the entire cost of Springer Journal Archives, Behavioral Sciences.  The Springer backfiles can be expanded by adding other subject collections when funding is available.  The FAU Libraries will negotiate with Springer as needed to keep the collection updated and to provide archival access to any acquired journals. The Libraries will measure the success of Springer Journal Archives, Behavioral Sciences through usage data and surveys. The Libraries will monitor usage through COUNTER standard reports that track which titles are used, and the number of articles downloaded.

FAU Libraries Electronic Resources