We have all the evidence we need that as soon as you charge by the transaction you drive the [academic] user away.
Predictor: Law, Derek
Prediction, in context:In his 1993 article on worldwide electronic communication, Mike Holderness quotes Derek Law. Holderness writes:”Electronic information has the potential to be much cheaper … Many librarians are worried about the possibility that in the future you’ll be charged each time you read an article – in the jargon, information will be provided as a ‘transaction-based service.’ Derek Law is involved in a feasibility study for a UK-based electronic journal, which looks likely to be launched with the Institute of Physics. On charging, he is ‘passionately convinced of the benefits of subscription-based rather than transaction-based services – we have all the evidence we need that as soon as you charge by the transaction you drive the [academic] user away. In my experience as a librarian, where searches have been charged on a time basis, use is trivial, whereas the online UK biographical information and data system, charged by annual subscription, attracts 3,000 inquiries a day.”
Date of prediction: March 2, 1993
Topic of prediction: Getting, Sharing Information
Subtopic: Libraries/Databases
Name of publication: New Scientist
Title, headline, chapter name: Down and Out on the Electronic Frontier
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.poptel.org.uk/nuj/mike/articles/nsc-elec.htm
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney