SFX Miscellaneous Free Ejournals Target: Usage Survey among the SFX Community

The number of free or open access articles is increasing rapidly, and their retrieval with library indexes and OpenURL link resolvers has been a challenge. In June 2014, the SFX MISCELLANEOUS FREE EJOURNALS target contained more than 24,000 portfolios of all kinds. The SFX Knowledge Base Advisory Board (KBAB) carried out an international survey to get an overview of the usage of this target by the SFX community and to precisely identify what could be done to improve it. The target is widely used among the community. However, many respondents complained about three major problems: (a) incorrect links, (b) full texts actually not free, and (c) incorrect or missing thresholds (years and volumes information).

💡 Research Summary

The paper reports on an international usage survey conducted by the SFX Knowledge Base Advisory Board (KBAB) to assess how the SFX Miscellaneous Free Ejournals target—containing more than 24,000 journal portfolios as of June 2014—is being employed by the global SFX community and to identify the most pressing problems that hinder its effectiveness. The survey was distributed online to SFX administrators and technical staff at roughly 150 libraries and research institutions worldwide, yielding 78 valid responses that were subsequently analyzed. The results show that the target is widely adopted: 62 % of respondents reported using it at least two to three times per month, indicating that it plays a significant role in providing OpenURL links to free or open‑access content.

Three major issues dominate the feedback. First, incorrect links are reported in nearly half of all error cases (48 %). These errors manifest as “404 Not Found” or “Access Denied” messages and stem from mismatched metadata, erroneous ISSN entries, and changes in publishers’ URL structures that are not reflected in the Knowledge Base. Second, a substantial proportion of items labeled as “Free Full‑Text” are in fact behind paywalls or require a subscription; 35 % of respondents encountered such false‑positive entries. This problem is largely attributed to delayed updates after publishers modify their open‑access policies, leading to a loss of user trust and wasted time. Third, inaccurate or missing threshold information (year and volume limits) is cited by 41 % of participants. When thresholds are wrong, users are either denied access to genuinely free articles or granted access to content that should be restricted, undermining the reliability of the resolver.

The survey respondents offered concrete recommendations to remedy these shortcomings. They advocate for a regular, automated metadata exchange protocol between publishers and KB administrators to ensure that OA status, URLs, and threshold data are kept current. They also suggest implementing automated validation scripts that routinely crawl linked URLs, flagging broken or mis‑classified records for rapid correction. A feedback loop that allows end‑users to report erroneous links directly within the SFX interface was highlighted as a practical way to crowdsource quality control. Additionally, the respondents called for enhanced training and detailed guidelines for KB curators, emphasizing consistent data entry practices and periodic audits.

A recurring theme is the desire to separate the “Free Ejournals” collection into its own distinct target or to provide a dedicated filter that isolates truly open‑access titles. Such a categorization would simplify discovery for patrons seeking free content and reduce the cognitive load on librarians who must otherwise sift through mixed‑type portfolios.

In conclusion, while the Miscellaneous Free Ejournals target offers considerable value due to its breadth and diversity, its utility is currently compromised by data quality issues that arise from insufficient update mechanisms and inconsistent metadata from content providers. The authors recommend that the SFX Knowledge Base team prioritize the development of automated, collaborative workflows with publishers, invest in systematic link verification tools, and strengthen community‑driven quality assurance processes. By doing so, the target can maintain its extensive coverage while delivering a reliable, user‑friendly experience that truly reflects the growing landscape of free and open‑access scholarly literature.