Uh-oh!: UPs on PDA
Becky Brasington Clark
Johns Hopkins University
November 4, 2010
Survey of University Presses
To gauge perceptions of impact of patron-
driven acquisition
Online survey to member presses of AAUP
AAUP: 130 members, of which about 100 are
affiliated with U.S. research institutions
Requested one response per institution
Gathered 42 responses
Five Areas of Concern
PDA and Host Institution's Library
Perceived Impact of PDA
Scholarly Monograph Publication Strategy
Perceived Impact on Scholarly Monograph's
Use In Tenure And Promotion
Ebook Publication Strategy
Great degree of familiarity
93% of respondents already familiar with PDA
64% from conferences/seminars
47% from colleagues
39% from e-book vendors
14% from wholesalers
How often have you spoken to your
host institution’s library about PDA?
50%: Never
50%: Occasionally
0%: Frequently
Is your library participating in PDA?
46%: Don’t know
33%: Yes
21%: No
Potential Impact of PDA on Sales
54%: Negative
19.5%: Positive
19.5%: No idea
7%: No impact
What Percentage of Your Sales Come
from Scholarly Monographs?
Scholarly monographs generate more than
40% of revenue for 60% of respondents
How would PDA impact your output
of scholarly monographs?
56%: We would publish the same number
31%: We would publish fewer
13%: No opinion/no idea
How would PDA impact your ability
to forecast sales?
68%: It will be more difficult to forecast
12%: No impact
10%: It will be easier to forecast
10%: No opinion/no idea
Percentage of monographs that are
associated with tenure/promotion
For 39% of respondents, more than 40% of
monographs they publish are associated with
tenure/promotion
PDA’s impact on the role of
monograph in tenure and promotion
Do you think the widespread adoption of
patron-driven acquisition could have a
negative impact on the role of the scholarly
monograph in supporting tenure or
promotion?
58%: Yes
24%: No
18%: No idea/no opinion
E-book strategy
How does your press publish its e-books in
relation to its print books?
62.5%: Simultaneously
19%: 60-180 days after print
15.5%: 30-60 days after print
3%: Prior to print
E-book strategy
If you don’t publish simultaneously, what is
your rationale?
63%: Strategic decision to embargo
56%: Would like to publish simultaneously
but haven’t perfected workflow
E-book strategy
Has your press opted into patron-driven
acquisition options offered by various e-book
vendors?
57%: No
43%: Yes
E-book strategy
If no, why not?
77%: Taking wait-and-see attitude
18%: Intend to, but haven’t yet
5%: Don’t intend to