From: Linda Wobbe <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 17:25:35 -0700

Hi All,

I used to participate in the surveys until Primary Research Group
restricted access to the pdf they send to participants.  You are no
longer allowed to add the pdf's to the Library's collection.  My Dean
says she came to the same conclusion.  Not worth responding if you
don't receive the report in a format you can include in the Library.

I find the price to be outrageous, actually.  $300?!  We purchased a
few and have them in the collection, though.  A few have been quite
popular:  Redesigning the college library building, for example.

I love the summaries they share in their marketing emails.  I get some
useful tidbits from that.

…Linda

Linda Wobbe
Head, Collection Management
Sciences Subject Selector
Saint Mary's College of CA
Library
Moraga, CA 94575


On Sun, Jun 15, 2014 at 4:00 AM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> From: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:08:46 -0400
>
> I'd be interested to know if anyone on this list purchases the PRG
> reports and whether/how they are actually used. Over the last several
> years they have hit my radar several times as I think they could
> provide some interesting data for law libraries. However, I have been
> unable, through informal channels such as AALL lists, ASAE posts, and
> my own queries to NELLCO member libraries, to ascertain that anyone is
> using them or has any experience with them, good or bad. I have been
> interested in acquiring them at the consortium level as a potential
> benefit for NELLCO member libraries (i.e. paid for by the consortium,
> not the members), but without any evidence of interest or demand
> there's no real justification for the kind of investment they're
> suggesting to provide consortium-wide access (which, btw, bears no
> resemblance to the prices posted on their website). If anyone has data
> or even anecdotal evidence of use I'd be interested in hearing from
> you.
>
> Cheers,
> Tracy
>
> Tracy L. Thompson, Executive Director
> New England Law Library Consortium (NELLCO)
> Albany Law School
> Schaffer Law Library
> Albany, NY 12208
> www.nellco.org
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> At 07:21 PM 6/12/2014, you wrote:
>
> From: "David N. Nelson" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:03:37 +0000
>
> I came across some PCG (Publisher Communications Group) reports
> recently while doing some specific research on several countries and
> the state of their libraries.  I found their reports to not be
> particularly useful, since the units that were being reported were too
> large and it was then impossible to work effectively with their data.
> I don't think the issue is so much that they don't publish their
> results in peer reviewed journals -- there are many solid institutes
> that publish extremely useful data and statistics who also don't
> publish in such journals -- I'm just not quite sure what to make of
> their data and I would agree that it isn't particularly transparent as
> to how the data are gathered.   I was interested in some countries in
> Asia and I have no idea if what they report comes from 2 libraries or
> 20 or 200 and where they are located
>
> David Nelson
> Walker Library
> Middle Tennessee State University
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Anthony Watkinson <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 09:42:12 +0100
>
> I have raised this question before and I do so again. I have nothing
> against Primary Research Group. Unless you are a library taking part
> in one of their surveys you have to buy the resulting report but the
> prices (it seems to me) are quite reasonable.
>
> However none of these reports are submitted for publication in
> journals and exposed to peer review. As I know very well peer review
> in information science is tough. Samples and methodology are looked at
> closely and revision is normal. This is what academic research is all
> about.
>
> Libraries and publishers alike are exposed all the time to this sort
> of report which may or may not be produced rigorously (how can one
> tell?). The reports have an influence on general perceptions. I would
> be interested in whether anyone else on this list is worried by the
> proliferation of these reports
>
> Anthony
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Primary Research Group <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 10:06:11 -0400
>
> Primary Research Group Inc. ( www.PrimaryResearch.com) is conducting a
> survey of library database licensing practices.  The international
> survey will give your library detailed benchmarking data about
> purchasing, pricing, negotiating strategy, material preference trends,
> copyright, eBook use models, use of consortia and many other issues in
> database licensing. Survey participants receive a free copy of the
> resulting report. The institutional names of respondents are listed
> but responses are aggregated or otherwise not connected to particular
> respondents.  To take the survey follow the link below:
>
> https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LibraryDatabaseLicensing2014
>
> James Moses, Research Director
> Primary Research Group Inc.
> www.PrimaryResearch.com