I also have found it worthwhile to challenge a publisher about one's
"Tier" placement. You have to be persistent.  They do make mistakes
(confusing one campus with another) and the price difference can be
staggering.
Joanna Kennedy

Helen Aiello wrote:
> In some cases tier pricing is based on your institution's Carnegie
> Classification  Description <
> http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/index.asp?key=785 >
> or, in cases where there are usage stats for an online
> product/journal, by the amount of usage an institution makes of the
> online resource being priced, e.g AIP titles or Project Muse.
>
> Who applies it?  Depending on the size of your institution and/or the
> programs offered by your institution (the website above spells it out
> in detail) either you apply it or the pricing agent/publisher.  If
> your institution does not fall into a neat Tier, then you may have to
> have a discussion with the agent/publisher applying the pricing.
> Since Wesleyan University is one of those institutions that falls
> between Tiers, I am always having to make a case for appropriate Tier
> pricing.
>
> Who manages it?  Depends on how much you trust your vendor to be able
> to manage that information for your account. Two of the larger vendors
> with whom I work can keep this info as part of our records in their
> data files. Otherwise, its in your hands to assure the correct pricing
> has been assigned for what you think is your Tier.
>
> I am assuming that the above information relates to the Tier pricing
> you are encountering.  But who knows: maybe some publisher thought up
> another method that I have not yet come across.
> Gotta love the creative economic models for serial pricing.  Certainly
> keeps us on our toes to stay informed!
>
> **************************************
> Helen M. Aiello, Serials/E-Resources Librarian
> Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT  (A tier 2 or 3, depending on the
> good graces of the pricing agency)
> 860-685-3828
>
>
> At 02:52 PM 9/7/2006, Jane Binksma wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>> Can anyone point me to a document that will define the process by which
>> journals are designated with a tier (i.e. tier one, tier two etc.)?  Or,
>> could anyone please enlighten me about this ranking?  I am having a hard
>> time finding any sort of concrete definition or explanation.  Is this a
>> standard?  If so, who applies it and manages it?
>>
>> Thanks for any insight,
>>
>> Jane
>>
>> Jane Binksma
>> Acquisitions Librarian
>> Collections Team
>> Ryerson University Library
>> 350 Victoria Street
>> Toronto, ON
>> M5B 2K3
>> 416-979-5000 ex. 4855
>