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 imperative to keep costs in check even as the number of publications to which their staff and students want access continues to rise. But the precise impact of any changes in research publications and how they are financed—for the sector as a whole and for individual universities—will depend on three key factors: first, on any associated changes in the arrangements relating to the funds they receive, particularly from the Funding Councils and Research Councils; second, on the profile of individual institutions, in terms of size, research intensity, and mix of disciplines, as well as their current levels of expenditure on the library and its collections; and third, the speed of take-up of open access publishing across the world.

6.20. The sums currently paid by individual universities to secure access to journals and books vary widely, and are not necessarily related to size and research intensity: historic as well as current levels of provision may be significant too, not least because the pricing models for the big deals of many publishers still take account of individual universities’ levels of subscription in the print era. Patterns of library service provision and staffing levels also vary considerably; and all aspects of library services and expenditure—on content as well as staff—are coming under increasing scrutiny from senior managers in universities. The scope for increases in expenditure on libraries and their contents is generally seen as meagre, if it exists at all; more often, managers are looking for cuts. Few universities, if any, are seeking to extend the range of publications accessible to staff and students by purchasing more licences.

6.21. Many universities are also increasingly conscious of the impact that the VAT regime has on their decisions as to the nature and scope of their collections. For while books and journals in print do not attract VAT, e-books and journals do; and universities have only limited scope to reclaim the VAT that they incur on their purchases. This represents a significant barrier against moving towards e-only provision, despite the increases in efficiency that would result, together with lowering of costs, for both publishers and libraries.

6.22. For all these reasons, individual universities will examine closely the financial implications for them of moves to increase access, and in particular at how they can avoid increases in costs. They will look at the likely transitional as well as continuing costs of measures to ensure that the university’s research is accessible across the world, and that more of the world’s research is accessible across the university. An example of the potential impact on an individual university is presented at Annex F.

G. Sustaining high-quality research

6.23. One of four principles guiding our considerations is the need to sustain the high levels of performance and standing of the research community in the UK. Its members operate in an ecology which provides high-quality channels through