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GENERAL QUESTIONS
What is the philosophy behind the 1994 pricing model for Mathematical
Reviews products?
Mathematical Reviews, in either print or electronic format, is
unsubsidized. All costs are recovered by subscription sales.
The 1994 pricing model acknowledges that building and
maintaining the database from which all Mathematical Reviews
products are derived is associated with a substantial,
predominent, fixed cost.
How does the 1994 pricing model work?
Sites that support mathematicians pay a Data Access Fee that
allows those sites AND the individuals (e.g., faculty,
students, staff) directly associated with them to purchase
items by paying just the Product Delivery Fee. So, for example,
if a site pays the Data Access Fee, its associated units and
individuals can purchase Mathematical Reviews in the print
version for $315/subscription. Sites that have paid the Data
Access Fee can purchase the first copy of the current MathSci
Disc for $1,800; the Product Delivery Fee for additional copies for
other associated units or Individuals is $520. The model is
optimized for transactions that involve purchase of more than
one delivery or more than one copy of a product.
What costs does the Data Access Fee recover?
The Data Access Fee recovers the costs associated with building
and maintaining the database from which all Mathematical
Reviews deliveries are derived.
What costs does the Product Delivery Fee recover?
The Product Delivery Fee recovers the costs of production,
media, and sales for that particular product.
Why is the Product Delivery Fee for the first copy of the current
MathSci Disc ($1,800) six times the Product Delivery Fee for a paper
($315) version?
MathSci Disc contains six years (1988- )of Mathematical Reviews
in a searchable format. It also includes bibliographic
citations for all Current Mathematical Publication (CMP) items
for which reviews have not yet been published. The Product
Delivery Fee includes a royalty payment to SilverPlatter for
use of their search engine, for user support, for loading the
database, for production of discs, and to recover a portion of
their marketing and sales promotion costs. It recovers a sales
commission for SilverPlatter distributors. It recovers for the
AMS the costs associated with file processing, quality
assurance, user support, and for publicizing and demonstrating
MathSci. A fairer comparison is the second-copy or individual
price ($520) to the price for the paper ($315) version. In the
later case, it is the current year of Mathematical Reviews,
indexed by issue, with a cumulative author and subject index at
the end of the year, and no full-text searching.
What is the overall effect of the change in pricing model on 1994
prices?
1993 1994 Increase
MR (paper)
List Price $4,591 $4,809 4.75%
Institutional/Corporate Member $3,673 $3,910 6.45%
MR (paper) and MathSci Disc (current)
List Price $6,391 $6,609 3.41%
Institutional/Corporate Member $5,473 $5,710 4.33%
MR (paper) and MathSci Tapes (current and backfile)
List Price $12,091 $7,586 -37.26%
Institutional/Corporate Member $11,173 $6,687 -40.15%
Backfile (1940-93) one time fee $25,000 $10,500 -58.00%
The 1994 pricing model makes purchasing multiple copies of
products and versions of products in different delivery formats
more attractive. MathSci Tapes are a particularly attractive
option.
Is it possible that my site will pay total fees significantly
in excess of what it paid in 1993?
Yes, if additional copies of products or additional products
are purchased. However, if your site purchases the same
products in the same quantity, the increase in total fees will
be less than 7% for almost all sites, and less for a
significant number. The 1994 pricing model IS NOT
intentionally designed to extract additional revenue from
sites. Prices in future years will be adjusted in relation to
experience. It is the intent of the AMS to work closely and
cooperatively with customers, particularly libraries, where
rising prices and shrinking resource bases have created a
crisis for serials budgets.
What is the philosophy on discounts for Mathematical Reviews products?
The AMS offers Institutional and Corporate Members a 20%
discount on the Data Access Fee. Deliveries to individuals
associated with sites who have paid the Data Access Fee are
offered at significantly lower prices. The 1994 pricing model
does not address any special cases, for example, small
institutions, or currency weak countries. Special situations
will be reviewed as part of the analysis that will determine
1995 subscription prices.
What are the benefits of the 1994 pricing model?
The 1994 pricing model explicitly identifies components of cost,
in their relative proportions. It is flexible and easily
adapted to evolving circumstances.
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
What is the definition of a site?
For purposes of determining fees, sites are defined as
organizational units at distinct locations. Sites may be
academic or non-academic. Units located in distinct cities are
considered distinct sites. Units within the same city that are
administered independently (with, for example, independent
budgets, separate faculties, independent control over the
student body and examinations) are considered distinct sites.
Thus, for example, the various campuses of the University of
California system, the various colleges of the University of
London and the various branches of the University of Paris are
considered distinct sites. The various branches of AT&T Bell
Laboratories are considered distinct sites.
Do all purchases in a given year have to be made in a single transaction?
No. Once a site has paid the Data Access Fee for a given year,
deliveries can be purchased at any time during the year.
How are fees calculated for new customers, once a subscription year
has begun?
New customers, by definition, sites that did not pay the
Data Access Fee for the previous subscription year, pay a
pro-rated Data Access Fee. (For 1994, new customers are
considered to be those who did not subscribe in 1993 either to
the print Mathematical Reviews or to the current MathSci Disc.)
The full Product Delivery Fee is charged. If Mathematical
Reviews in the print version is ordered, back issues for the
current year are shipped. If the MathSci Disc version is
ordered, the current Disc is shipped.
If a site renews Mathematical Reviews or MathSci Disc after the start
of a new issue year, what fees are charged?
Late renewals, by definition, sites that were subscribers
in the previous year, are charged the full Data Access Fee and
full Product Delivery Fee. If Mathematical Reviews in the print
version is ordered, back issues for the current year are
shipped. If the MathSci Disc version is ordered, the current
Disc is shipped.
How does the licensing of (SilverPlatter) MathSci Disc work?
Sites contact the appropriate SilverPlatter distributor.
Contact SilverPlatter (1-800-343-0064) for information. After
checking customer status, the distributor provides a quotation.
When payment is received, the product is shipped. For sites
that subscribe to Mathematical Reviews, the Data Access Fee
comes up for renewal at the end of the current calendar year.
For sites that subscribe only to MathSci Disc, the Data Access
and Product Delivery Fee are anniversary date based.
How does licensing of the Site Load tapes work?
Site load tapes are a viable option for sites wanting to offer
enterprise-wide access, which have the tools and in-house
expertise required to develop and maintain complex retrieval
applications. Normally, some mix of staff from the computing
center, library, and mathematics department work with AMS staff
first to design and then to test an application. Then, the
site loads the entire database and makes it available under
specified terms and conditions. The AMS is attempting to
negotiate with the vendors of several popular library retrieval
systems terms for providing pre-loaded versions of the MathSci
database. Sites interested in site load tapes should contact the
Division of Electronic Products and Services (DEPS),
1-800-321-4AMS (MATHSCI@math.ams.org).
What is On-Line MathSci?
On-Line MathSci is MathSci Tapes made available on Dialog. In
addition to Mathematical Reviews (MR) and Current Mathematical
Publications (CMP), the following subfiles, not available on
MathSci Disc, are included with MathSci Tapes:
CIS Current Index to Statistics
CR Computing Reviews
GCL Guide to Computing Literature
STR Stanford Technical Reports in Computer Science
TUKEY Index to Statistics and Probability
How does an organization become an Institutional or Corporate
Member?
Organizations in North America interested in becoming
Institutional or Corporate Members should contact Membership
and Customer Services (MACS) (1-800-321-4AMS or
CUST-SERV@math.ams.org).
If I am a Reviewer for Mathematical Reviews, what fees apply?
Under the new Reviewer credit policy, whereby discounts on the
print Mathematical Reviews and Current Mathematical
Publications have been replaced by credit coupons for reviews
returned, eligible Reviewers pay the same fees as other
individuals for Mathematical Reviews and MathSci Disc.
However, Reviewers remain eligible for discounts on MR Section
Sets (see below).
If I am a department or member of a department other than mathematics
at a site that has paid the Data Access Fee, what fees apply?
You pay ONLY the appropriate Product Delivery Fee.
If I am a retired faculty member associated with a site that has paid
the Data Access Fee and the Product Delivery Fee for a delivery I
want, what fees apply?
You pay ONLY the appropriate Product Delivery Fee.
If I am a mathematician who is associated with a site that
has not paid the Data Access Fee or not associated with any site,
can I purchase Mathematical Reviews products?
Any individual, regardless of institutional affiliation,
may purchase MR Section Sets, the product derived from
the Mathematical Reviews database that is tailored to
individual needs. (See below for the subscription prices.)
If you are associated with a site, you may encourage that
site to subscribe to one or more of the products designed for
multiple users. See also the following question.
Does the AMS ever consider exceptions to its subscription policies?
The Appeals Committee on Discounted Subscriptions is charged
with the reponsibility for making exceptions in very special
circumstances, both for sites and for individuals. For
information, contact Membership and Customer Services
(1-800-321-4AMS or CUST-SERV@math.ams.org).
Do I pay VAT (Value Added Tax) on the license fee?
The answer to this depends on the location of the subscriber.
For example, in Canada, the Commodities Special Unit of Customs
has ruled that the GST (Goods and Services Tax) is paid on the
value for export, in this case, just the Product Delivery Fee;
the Data Access Fee is exempt.
Current Mathematical Publications (CMP)
and
Mathematical Reviews Section Sets
The pricing structure for subscriptions to Current Mathematical
Publications and Mathematical Reviews Section Sets is independent of the
Data Access Fee and is as follows:
Current Mathematical Publications (CMP)
List $377
Institutional Member $302
Individual* $226
* Available only to individuals at institutions that subscribe
to Current Mathematical Publications
Mathematical Reviews Section Sets
Class 1 Section Sets Class 2 Section Sets
Individual $87 $58
MR Reviewer $58 $39
For information, contact Membership and Customer Services
(1-800-321-4AMS or CUST-SERV@math.ams.org).
October 7, 1994
DEPS/DLR
