In Conclusion

Journal publishers have relatively little experience with offering electronic full text to end users for a fee. Most new Web products either are free or have a free introductory period. Many are now in the process of starting to charge (Science, for example, instituted its first subscription fees as of January 1997 and sells electronic subscriptions only to paper personal subscribers). However, it is already clear that a price perceived as fair is a necessary but not sufficient factor in gaining users. Freely available information will not be used if it is not seen as being a productive

use of time. Novelty fades quickly. If a Web site or other electronic offering does not offer more (job leads, competitive information, early reporting of research results, discussion forums, simple convenience of bringing key journals to the desktop), it will not be heavily used. In designing electronic services, publishers have to deal with issues of speed, quality control, comprehensiveness-and then price. The evaluation of acceptance by the user will be on the total package.