Abstract:

Although application of journal database has greatly improved the efficiency of scientific research work, the data providers keep substantially increasing its prices so that access to knowledge turned out to be very expensive. The price of the database has become a realistic problem that must be clearly understood and rationally solved. This paper introduces the idea and methods of evaluating the price of the journal database from the perspective of efficiency difference value. By comparison and verification, we can get the estimated value of the efficiency difference of the subscribers’ access to the full text of the database or not in the Internet environment and concludes the price constraints on library resources and information infrastructure construction. It is suggested to complete the fundamental paper-based resources for sustainable development of the library. Interference is also needed to prevent resource monopoly, which is easily bred in the current ill-structured information industry.

Key words: literature database, price evaluation, constraint mechanism