Digitizing journal archives: the experience of Taylor & Francis

• Published in: Learned publishing Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 109 - 112
• Main Authors: HOWELLS, Matthew, BELL, Ashleigh, EVERITT, Nicholas, McMILLAN, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Letchworth ALPSP 01.04.2009; Association of Learned and Professional
• Subjects: Archives & records; Digitization; Document dissemination and delivery; Exact sciences and technology; Information and communication sciences; Information dissemination (open archives, open access,...) and document delivery; Information publishing, dissemination and reproduction; Information science. Documentation; Researchers; Sciences and techniques of general use; Electronic publishing; Digitizing; Information dissemination
• ISSN: 0953-1513; 1741-4857
• DOI: 10.1087/2009205

ABSTRACT There are enormous quantities of information available to researchers on the Internet, of varying levels of quality. Now, more than ever, it is important that academic publishers make best use of their journals and provide their readers with access to this high‐value content, in a form that can be easily found and used. To that end, Taylor & Francis have taken up the challenge of satisfying researchers' need to have all relevant content available at their fingertips, by digitizing their older journal content, creating subject‐based collections of backfiles and putting them online. This article provides an insight into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the process of digitization of Taylor & Francis's journal archives. The fact that these online backfiles are being requested, purchased, and used demonstrates the added value that publishers may hold in their archives.