It is our view that commercial firms have raised prices at a rate disproportionate to any increases in costs or quality. One aspect of its activity, the Alternatives programme, encourages and supports projects that represent a direct and strong competitive alternative to existing high-priced titles in important established STM fields. Professor McCabe s most recent work, an evaluation of the impact of seven publisher mergers on journal prices during the period 1988-2001, supports this hypothesis. Although this latest paper is not yet in the public domain, I understand that you have been in touch with Professor McCabe and that his research is being made available to you. It is a primary function of our members to provide information to their university communities in order to facilitate learning and research activities.
Academics are under enormous pressure to publish.
This is the primary means by which their research is made available to the community. Publications are a measure of status and contribute towards promotion. They are a crucial performance indicator within the research assessment exercise 6 . Libraries are therefore under tremendous pressure to provide access to the literature in which their academic communities publish. In CURL s view this merger is against the public interest.