Advertising Hits Medical Journals

 

Reed Elsevier’s launch of online advertisements to support free subscriptions to its www.OncologySTAT.com cancer research website ushers in a new era in scientific journaling. Unlike traditional medical journal business models, which charge premium subscription fees for article access, OncologyStat.com will provide relevant content to oncologists free-of-charge, courtesy of its e-advertisers.

Reed cites the lucrative future of online advertising, which the company hopes will subsidize any lapse in subscriptions caused by free online access. With only three percent of pharmaceutical marketing dollars spent online, the potential for growth is immense.

Reed’s issue is common in the publishing community as publishers continually seek to institute the optimal balance between free vs. fee-based access to online content without diminishing the value of printed media. Given that subscriptions to Reed’s printed journals can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars per year, this is an issue worth noting.

It will be interesting to see how the site pans out. Will it be the answer to the medical community’s prayers for cheaper access to value-added research?

More info at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/business/media/10journal.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin