Some journals have more issues than others. ScienceDirect Web editions provides the last twelve months of issues and some journals are published more often than others are. Thus, some journals may have 12 issues while others may have more or less depending upon their frequency. Currency of delivery for both online and paper is difficult to gauge on a journal by journal basis. A majority of the online journals are available at the same time their paper counter parts appear on the library shelves but there are some that may have a later availability due to processing methods.
Delays can occur due to the process used to create the print journal.
Elsevier Science is committed to making all its journals available online in a timely manner. The ScienceDirect Help Desk will notify you when the account is ready to become active. ScienceDirect Web editions is designed to provide current information for subscribed journals at each site. It is not intended to have a backfile or be an online archive. The paper version continues to serve that function.