e-textbook business models trials underway
18th November, 2009Eight leading textbook publishers, three e-book aggregator and ten universities are working together to test a range of business models for e-textbooks as part of the second phase of the Study on the Economic Impact of e-textbook Business Models that we commissioned last year.
17 core textbooks have been selected by libraries for the trials. They cover a wide range of subject areas – from business and economics to law and medicine.
The overall objective of the trials is to identify realistic and sustainable e-textbook business models from the point of view of all key stakeholders. In addition to exploring issues of pricing and usage, the ease of implementation and management of each business model will also be monitored through the trials.
Trial 1: assessing the sustainability of offering unlimited concurrent access to e-textbooks via aggregated platforms and/or publisher-specific platforms
| Universities | Publishers | E-book aggregators | Library access model |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Leicester | Cengage Learning Pearson |
MyiLibrary | Unlimited concurrent user |
| University of Birmingham University of Northampton UCL |
Palgrave Macmillan Dawson |
MyiLibrary | Unlimited concurrent user |
| University of Greenwich University of St Andrews University of Surrey |
Wiley-Blackwell | Unlimited concurrent user |
Trial 2: exploring the role of the library in offering students a range of access options to e-textbooks, such as access to individual chapters and pay per use, print only, e-only and print/e-bundles
| Universities | Publishers | E-book aggregators | Library access model |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Bath University of Leicester |
Cengage Learning | EBL | Unlimited concurrent user |
| University of Leicester University of Newcastle University of Surrey |
Cambridge University Press | EBL | Unlimited concurrent user |
| University of Bath University of St Andrews |
Cambridge University Press | EBL | Limited concurrent user |
Trial 3: assessing the impact on print sales of textbooks of offering e-access via libraries, and finding out what students want if they have a range of options – for example accessing via the library, purchasing a print copy or print/online package, purchasing an e-only edition, or purchasing or renting a chapter
| Universities | Publishers | E-book aggregators | Library access model |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the West of England | SAGE | Dawson | Unlimited concurrent user |
Trial 4: establishing whether making e-textbooks available through libraries improves the sell-through of existing adoptions
| Universities | Publishers | E-book aggregators | Library access model |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Birmingham University of Northampton University of Newcastle |
McGraw Hill | Dawson MyiLibrary |
Unlimited concurrent user |
| University of Greenwich | Oxford University Press | MyiLibrary | Unlimited concurrent user |
The 17 core textbooks selected for the trials are:
- Auditing and Assurance Services (McGraw Hill)
- Developing Business Knowledge (SAGE)
- Economics (Cengage Learning)
- Economics (McGraw Hill)
- Fundamentals of Physics (Wiley-Blackwell)
- International Law (Cambridge University Press)
- Introductory Econometrics for Finance (Cambridge University Press)
- Mental Health Nursing (Palgrave Macmillan)
- Organic Chemistry (Cengage Learning)
- Personality, Individual Differences and Intelligence (Pearson)
- Principles of Anatomy and Physiology (Wiley-Blackwell)
- Psychology (McGraw Hill)
- Textbook of Criminal Law (Oxford University Press)
- Theories of International Relations (Palgrave Macmillan)
- Understanding International Relations (Palgrave Macmillan)
- Understanding Physics (Wiley-Blackwell)
- World Politics (Cengage Learning)
The textbooks cover the following subject areas:
- Business and Management
- Chemistry
- Economics
- International Relations
- Law
- Medicine
- Physics
- Politics
- Psychology