The value of scholarly journals in a two-sided market

Abstract

Two-sided markets are a relatively new economic concept that has relevance for scholarly communications. Scholarly journals, as well as bundles of scholarly journals, can best be understood as examples of two-sided markets, and journal-pricing issues can best be examined using this concept. Serials librarians, electronic resources librarians, and scholarly communications specialists should incorporate two-sided markets into their understanding of the shifting journals environment. © 2008 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.