Chemistry Journal Use and Cost: Results of a Longitudinal Study

Journal-use studies were conducted in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chemistry Library in 1988, 1993, and most recently in 1996. Between 1988 and 1996, the cost of purchasing the journal collection rose 66.9% while use of the collection rose 34.2%. These increases occurred during the cancellation of over 180 chemistry journals between 1988 and 1996. The data point to a collection with obvious "top" journals that generate most of the use. While the data confirm the 80/20 rule (84% of use was generated by the top 100 journals in 1996, approximately 20% of the journal collection), journal use is even more focused toward the top: approximately 40% of all use in 1996 was generated by the top 10 titles. Use of the top 10 journals rose 60% between 1988 and 1996, with nearly identical titles occupying the top 10 positions over 8 years. Longitudinal trends in journal use and cost are explored, recommendations are made for successful journal-use study methodologies, and time series, data-centered collection development is addressed.