Authors:

Abstract

The article investigates the use of electronic journals in 68 French universities, all members of the Couperin consortium¹. The study is based on statistical data on usage, libraries and journal packages collected by the EPEF project (Evaluation des Périodiques Electroniques dans le Réseau Universitaire Français) from different sources (publishers, Ministry, survey results), from 2001 to 2005. It provides information about local metrics for eight packages (serials), e.g. usage trends; requests per package and user; costs per request and user; as related to the scientific specialty of the university (STM, SS&H, multidisciplinary, etc.). Whenever possible and reasonable, the data is compared with results from UK and US research. The paradoxical situation of SS&H is discussed. This is the first study on usage statistics in French universities and probably one of the first based on a nationwide survey. Methodological problems are discussed.

How to Cite: Boukacem-Zeghmouri, C. and Schöpfel, J., 2008. On the usage of e-journals in French universities. Serials, 21(2), pp.121–126. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1629/21121