Abstract
This article summarizes the results of a short survey completed by 94 publishers, librarians and suppliers within the international scholarly publishing community in early 2017. From a selection of 13 categories included as a multi-choice pick-list, each with additional sub-categories – a total of 57 options – the participants identified the functions they are currently outsourcing and provided a forecast of those they are considering outsourcing in the future. The survey found the top sub-category function currently outsourced across all three stakeholder groups to be ‘Content hosting/technology platform’ (one of seven sub-categories associated under the parent category 6: ‘IT – Hosting/content’), which was selected by a total of 18 survey respondents. The survey provided new insights into the issue of outsourcing in the scholarly communications field, and the author invites further participation to build on these initial findings.
Highlights
Consultant Ellery Matthews Consulting ‘Outsourcing – Measuring the Status Quo’ was the name given to the survey, created using a basic version of the web-based survey tool, SurveyMonkey, and later updated to a standard plan in order to be able to export the results in various formats
Reading the Deloitte survey report led to an assumption that once the status quo of outsourcing had been measured, some of the questions asked in the Deloitte survey report could be considered for inclusion in a further comprehensive survey designed for completion by the scholarly publishing community, and its findings could be used as a valuable and credible bench-mark when comparing responses
The survey found the top sub-category function currently outsourced across all three stakeholder groups to be ‘Content hosting/technology platform’, selected by a total of 18 survey respondents
Summary
Consultant Ellery Matthews Consulting ‘Outsourcing – Measuring the Status Quo’ was the name given to the survey, created using a basic version of the web-based survey tool, SurveyMonkey, and later updated to a standard plan in order to be able to export the results in various formats. Reading the Deloitte survey report led to an assumption that once the status quo of outsourcing had been measured, some of the questions asked in the Deloitte survey report could be considered for inclusion in a further comprehensive survey designed for completion by the scholarly publishing community, and its findings could be used as a valuable and credible bench-mark when comparing responses. This assumption is representative group of key stakeholders ... It is increasingly a means of potentially attaining, and maintaining competitive advantage – and not just a way to cut costs.’
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