IEEE Publishing Strategy: Key Issues & Next Steps

An Update For PSPB

February 2005Confidential –For IEEE Board and OU Use Only

Leah Jamieson, Anthony DurniakJohn Vig, Mary Ward-Callan

PSPB & TAB Are Engaged In A Multi-Year Planning Process

• Feb. ’04: Received charge from A. Winston• Through 2004: Workshops examined the changing

landscape of publishing, developed scenarios & strategies

• Nov. ‘04: Board accepts new 6-point strategy as recommended and funds work for 2005

• Through 2005: Act on the new Strategy– Do research to see how engineers work today– Develop programs to start implementing the strategy– Hold 2 workshops to socialize the plan

61%

53%

43%

40%

31%

27%

21%

Remain technically current

Obtain IEEE publications

Join IEEE Societies

Enhance my career opportunities

Network with others

Show my support for theprofession

For continuing education

Source: Excerpt from 2004 IEEE Member Segmentation StudySource: Excerpt from 2004 IEEE Member Segmentation Study Q25: Please indicate the major reasons you originally joined the IEEE. (Choose all the apply)

Publications Are An Important Part Of How IEEE Meets It’s Mission

It’s Behind The Top 2 Reasons For Joining IEEE

Publications Represents Half Of IEEE’s Revenue From

Operations1

3%

50%

19%28%

Membership

Publications

Conferences

Finance & Other

2003 Total Revenue

$226 Million

1 Omits Investment Returns on Reserves; Source: IEEE Audited Financials

And This Important Program Is Subject To Several Financial

Threats • IEL customers demand usage

stats by title – in “Counter” assoc. format

• We estimate 15% to 30% of IEL customers don’t use all titles and will ask to trade down

• Switch to smaller packages may drop IEL revenue 10% to 15%

Pubs

MembrConfcmbr

10% to 15% of IEL Revenue

At Risk Due To “Counter” Usage

Stats

And This Important Program Is Subject To Several Financial

Threats • Open Access gives articles

readers for free• Google Scholar makes it easy

to find these free copies, so people don’t need a subscription

• There are many proposals for new business models, but they won’t replace subscriptions 100%

Pubs

MembrConfcmbr

20% to 50% of Total Revenue At Risk Due To

Open Access and Google Scholar

But A Key Issue For IEEE Is The Changing Link Between Publications and

MembershipIn print, the only way to

get IEEE material and

avoid a trip to the library . . .

. . . was to become an IEEE Society member and get a

personal member subscription conveniently

delivered to your desk.

But with web delivery the library subscription now gives readers

convenient access at their desks -- at the office or at home

22%

6%

8%

4%

8%

18%

19%

43%

62%

72%

2%

3%

5%

8%

8%

17%

22%

63%

69%

76%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Other*

Attend local chapter activities

Discounts on conference fees

Serve as a volunteer

Access to continuing education

Contribute to my profession

Networking

Obtain Society/IEEE publications

Keep informed in my field*

Obtain technical information

Society Members

No Society

Access To IEL Can Impact The Reasons for Maintaining Society & IEEE

MembershipSurvey: Why Do You Maintain IEEE Membership?

Source: 2003 IEEE All Society Research Project Q 26Source: 2003 IEEE All Society Research Project Q 26

But Society members are

far more likely to see Pubs as a reason to stay

members

Access to info Is important to all IEEE Members

22%

6%

8%

4%

8%

18%

19%

43%

62%

72%

2%

3%

5%

8%

8%

17%

22%

63%

69%

76%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Other*

Attend local chapter activities

Discounts on conference fees

Serve as a volunteer

Access to continuing education

Contribute to my profession

Networking

Obtain Society/IEEE publications

Keep informed in my field*

Obtain technical information

Society Members

No Society

There Are Two Solutions To This: 1) Develop Other Member Benefits and 2) Revise Pubs

Strategy Survey: Why Do You Maintain IEEE Membership?

Source: 2003 IEEE All Society Research Project Q 26Source: 2003 IEEE All Society Research Project Q 26

The Conclusion: We need to develop other

member benefits or otherwise change the dues/value equation

Our Goal For 2010: Be A Leader In Technology Information

• Be the premier source for technical information to all technology practitioners

• Lead in creating and organizing a variety of technical content and disseminating it to users in a personalized, seamless, coherent and integrated fashion

• Double the amount of content published• Provide IEEE members affordable access• Double the inflation-adjusted net surplus

generated by information services and products

To Accomplish These GoalsRequires A New 6-Point Strategy

Package content with services together

Sell services separate from content 4. Sales

Institutional library focus Focus on End-user & Member

5.Customers

Current Strategy New Strategy

Peer Reviewed, Professional Process

Peer review + new ways to evaluate and process

2. Process

Research orientedEE and CS Centric

Both theory & applied All aspects of technology 1. Content

Do it by ourselves Work with others 6. Partners

Services as way to deliver IEEE Content

Enhanced, personalized services to find, manage info

3. Services

Strategy 1: Expand The Type Of Content We Offer

• Journal and Conference articles still play a role • But, we’ll offer more types of content:

– More practical articles -- for example:• Quick study introductions to various topics• Product design, tips & techniques

– More Non-text information – For example: • mathematical models, computer-aided design templates, etc. • Interactive online learning modules, etc.

• Leverages knowledge of the Societies and programs at their conferences

• Helps IEEE expand into new interdisciplinary fields

Research orientedEE and CS Centric

Both theory & applied All aspects of technology

1. Content

Strategy 2: Allow The Inclusion Of New Content Processes

• Our journals will retain peer review and editing where it provides a competitive advantage

• We’ll also seek out new ways to create content – Self-assembling communities of interest– Community contributed and assembled content (e.g. “Wiki”

encyclopedia )– Author formatted material (e.g. conference articles)

• We’ll also find new ways to evaluate content– Reader ratings of articles, community evaluation– Usage-based ratings of material: how often read or cited

• PSPB will determine policies • Leverages knowledge of Societies & their “social networks”

of communities

Peer Reviewed, Professional Process

Peer review + new ways to evaluate, author formatted

2. Process

Strategy 3: Build Web Services To Help Members & Users Manage Info

“IEEE Resource Center” web service: • Contextual Workspace: finds, organizes, and links info in

relationship to how it is used• Buy single articles & manage subscriptions with easy web

commerce• Can have versions like RealPlayer or Acrobat

– Basic version free to registered users– Advanced version for members

• Can be tailored to needs of various communities • Restores the link between membership and access to

information

Services as way to deliver IEEE Content

Enhanced, personalized services to manage all info

3. Services

Strategy 4: Sell Content Separately Strategy 5: Focus On End-Users

• Benefits users: lets them buy what they want– Single articles, bundles of articles, subscriptions

• Benefits to IEEE: Overcomes “IEL Dilemma”– Sales by article grows revenue as content grows

Package content with services together

Sell services separate from content 4. Sales

Institutional library focus End-user & Member5.Customers

• We still acknowledge librarians as important customers

• But we’ll add emphasis on selling to the end-user, especially members

Strategies 3, 4 & 5: IEEE Potentially Could Provide Several Access Options

------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------

IEEEARTICLE -------------------------------------------------

IEEE ARTICLE ----------------------------------------------------------------

All readers sign up for their choice of “IEEE Resource Finder”

“IEEE Member”Get Full set of services

“Registered Users” Get Basic set of services

Reader has choices to buy content: Single articles or Bundles of articles for themselves or the institution

Article Bundles: Enterprise, MDL, ASPP, CSDL, IEL, etc.

Strategy 6: Encourage Partners

• We’ll collaborate with other professional societies to develop info collections– A small number of partners = critical mass

• IEE already participates in IEL• First partners needed are AIP, APS, IOP, ACM• Once started can add others: ASME, AIChE, etc.

• We’ll selectively partner with companies on technology & services

• Benefits of collaboration – Pools resources for development and operation of increasingly

expensive web content services

Do it by ourselves Work with others 6. Partners

Action Plan For 2005• Planning Meeting 31 Jan./1 Feb.

• Workshop with Panel of Editors 10 Apr.

• Second Workshop in Early Summer

• Gaining insights from industry players– M. Buschman, Microsoft; R. Kenny Marone, Yale; N.

Gulley, MathWorks; A. Acharya, Google; R. Crow, SPARC; S. Gass, MIT; H. Flecker, Harvard; C. Tenopir, Univ. of Tenn.; C. Richard, Outsell

IEEE’s Publishing Strategy Message Is Plan Before There Is A Crisis

• Yes, our current products are selling well

• But, there are disruptive issues and technologies on the horizon

• The important thing is that we not be complacent

• The good news is that we envision new products and services that can keep us successful

The End

Governance in IEEE TABGovernance in IEEE TAB

Report from Mimi Galiana

SPARC Ad-hoc Committee on Governance

June 2005 TAB Series

The Mandate -2005The Mandate -2005

• Provide Recommendations on S/C Division allocation for DD elections

• Assist attempts to improve IEEE image to the public on the web (Ed Clark report to SPARC)

• Examine issues of governance in: TAB governance (voting body) Creation of new S/Cs in TAB Facilitate inter-society and cross-division collaborations (Clint Andrews report to SPARC)

Can some measures improve all in parallel?

Common IssuesCommon Issues

• Continued Decline in Membership

• Tensions between small and large societies

• New directions that spawn new societies rather than mutual collaborations

• Poor dissemination of novel S/C technical activities between units and the public

1. Division Structure1. Division StructureReport: to achieve democratic balance in DD voting base

• Evaluate the balance of member representation in current divisions

• Address the preferences of S/Cs given through feedback

• Propose changes with minimal perturbations on election process of DDs

From the IEEE study in Nov 2004 (05 reg):

1.a Division Member #1.a Division Member #Div. High-grade Total #

I 36,357 40,702

II 18,036 19,158

III (ComS) 29,204 34,840

IV 28,029 30,847

V (.5 CS) 25,144 37,596

VI 12,006 13,001

VII (PES) 18,042 19,032

VIII (.5 CS) 25,144 37,597

IX 24,481 27,495

X 28,279 33,421

Total 293,689/10 ~ 29,370

Recommendations on DivisionsRecommendations on Divisions• Current • New Proposal

I:CAS,CPMT,ED,

LEO,SSC,SC,NC

VI: ED,EM,PC,

R,PSE,SIT

II: DEI, IA, IM,

PEL

VII: PE

III: Comm Soc VIII: Comp

IV: AP,BT,CE, EMC,Mag,MTT,

NPS,SCC

IX: AES,GRS,

OE,SP,UFFC,VT

V: Comp X: CS,EMB,IE,

IT,CI,RA,ITS

SMC,ITSC

I: CAS, ED, SSC,

NC

VI: ED,EM,PC,

R,PSE,SIT

II: DEI,IA,IM, LEO,

CPMT, UFFC, SC

VII: PE,PEL,IE

III: Comm Soc VIII: Comp

IV: AP,BT,CE, EMC,Mag,MTT,

NPS,SCC

IX: AES,GRS,

OE,SP,VT, IT

V: Comp X: CS,EMB,CI,

ITS, RA,SMC,

ITSC

Why are Councils listed in Divisions at all?GREEN for moved societies – others unchanged

From the IEEE study in Nov 2004 (05 reg):

Div. High-grade Total #

I 28,384 31,553

II 23,351 25,350

III (ComS) 29,204 34,840

IV 28,029 30,847

V (.5 CS) 25,144 37,596

VI 12,006 13,001

VII (PE+) 25,321 27,037

VIII (.5 CS) 25,144 37,597

IX 25,616 28,917

X 23,184 27,686

Total 293,689/10 ~ 29,370

Proposed New DivisionsProposed New Divisions

3. Alternate TAB Structure3. Alternate TAB Structure

– The problem in TAB representation

• There is an imbalance in the member representation weight of most TAB votes

• This causes tensions and destructive inertia between ‘small’ and ‘large’ S/Cs.

(information item)

3. Alternate TAB Structure3. Alternate TAB StructureThe result:

• TAB votes often reflect ‘territorial’ interests (‘silo’ vision)

• whereas the actual legal mandate of all TAB voters (like DDs) is to vote for the well-being of all IEEE technical interests!

3. Alternate TAB Structure3. Alternate TAB Structure

• Define a TAB representation elected by peers from the existing S/C Presidents and DDs, based on equitable membership base

• Selection could be on a division allocation basis, or freely decided by S/C alliances (examples only)

• The elected representative would vote according to the consensus of his/her base, encouraging collaborative stances

The solution:

Alternate TAB StructureAlternate TAB Structure

Two Tier Structure

New TAB

Operational in Focus

Restricted Size

Voting Members with balanced representation

New President’s Council

Oversight and Policy

All Societies and Councils Represented

Building on background work of R. Sudbury and R. De Marca -

Alternate TAB StructureAlternate TAB Structure

Current TAB (S/C Ps & DDs+) ~60

Presidents’ Council(all S/C Ps ~42)

New elected TAB reps(from S/C Ps & DDs)

Balanced vote basee.g. 1 rep/10K div members

=> ~32

Functions of New TABFunctions of New TAB

• Carry out all administrative and operational functions of current TAB except those reserved to the President’s Council. These include but not limited to:– Budget approval– Allocation of income and expenses– Publications– Products– Meetings & conferences– New technology initiatives

• Report on actions taken to the President’s Council• Actions with financial implications subject to review by

President’s Council• Other operational decisions subject to President’s Council

oversight but not review

Structure of President’s CouncilStructure of President’s Council

• Composed of all sitting Presidents of IEEE Societies and Councils or their designated representative

• Chaired by TAB VP

Functions of President’s CouncilFunctions of President’s Council

• To hear report of actions taken by TAB– To take for review and action any TAB action with financial

implications for Societies and Councils by majority vote– Rejection of TAB action requiring a 2/3 vote of those present

• To hear report of TAB Treasurer• To hear and act on report of SPC (old SPARC)• To debate and set policy on the technical activities of

Societies and Councils within the purview of the President’s Council and TAB