Hi Vickey,

Here at ECU we are struggling with the same issue.  We are beginning to work
out a methodology, based on a literature review, to evaluate full text
holdings in databases including: currency (which covers the embargo issue),
coverage, graphics, stability, number of refereed titles, citation factor
and number of times articles were cited in the previous year.  Another
element to look at that will reflect your users' research patterns is the
variation, if any, between the use of print journals and their electronic
counterparts; I would use this more with a product such as Project Muse,
JSTOR, Science Direct, etc.  Of course, this may beg the question of whether
to maintain print in lieu of the electronic product, but it give a good idea
as to what your clients' habits are.  I think that once people look at the
electronic counterparts to the print titles, many realize how incomplete a
good number of these electronic titles truly are.

Studies show that undergraduates continue to use the print journals, and, of
course, the graduate students and faculty; keep in mind the disparity
between the acceptance/availability of electronic journals between
humanities/social sciences and hard sciences.   Sometimes economics deals us
terrible blows (which we all are feeling now) that may require
administrations to follow this lead.  Many libraries simply cannot afford to
maintain two or more separate 'subscriptions' to a given title, so these
hard decisions in some cases are inevitable.  We have to do the best we can,
and build our case for keeping print journals if we feel the electronic
alternative is lacking in any of the areas above (especially pertinent with
the journal aggregators).

Building on the above issues, some websites offer very good information
about evaluating full text databases that can be of use during your
deliberations:

Project COUNTER www.projectcounter.org
ICOLC Guidelines http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia/
ARL E-Metrics http://www.arl.org/stats/newmeas/emetrics/

Regards,

Stefanie DuBose
Serials Librarian
Collection Development, Joyner Library
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
(p) 252-328-2598
(f) 252-328-4834
duboses@mail.ecu.edu

(Please note that these opinions are my own and do not reflect any official
policy of the library or East Carolina University.)