This Research Report studies an often-neglected market segment, that of small businesses.  An online survey and individual interviews were conducted in June 2009, to explore the importance of information in research journals, level of use, quality of access provision, and suggestions for improvement.  Users in larger businesses and in higher education were also surveyed for comparison.

People in high-tech small businesses value information more highly, and read more journal articles, than those in larger companies.  Of those that consider information important, 71% felt they had good access, and 60% that it was better than 5 years ago.  However, more than half sometimes had difficulty accessing an article, and there are a number of steps that could be taken to improve access:  pay-per view access could be made simpler, with a more appropriate payment mechanism for companies, and lower prices; higher education journal licences could include online as well as walk-in access for local businesses;  and a comprehensive, centrally administered national licence could be explored.

The Companion Report provides the detailed survey results on which the Research Report is based, and also comparisons with other sectors:  larger companies, universities/colleges, hospitals, medical schools and non-governmental public health facilities, and research and governmental institutions.

Contents

• Executive summary
• Background
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises
  • SMEs and innovation
  • Access to university research
  • Impact of access barriers
  • SMEs and research journals
  • Patents
  • Grey literature
  • Current initiatives
• Survey
  • Objectives
  • Methodology
  • Response
  • Journal article access
  • Access channels
  • Success factors
  • Success factors vs. barriers to success
  • Other information types
• Interviews
  • Introduction
  • Importance of journals
  • Searching
  • Browsing and awareness
  • Print
  • Access routes
  • Walk-in access
  • Barriers and impact
• Discussion
  • Importance of journals to companies
  • Access levels
  • Channels used
  • Possible options for improving access by SMEs
  • Scope for further research
• Appendices
  • References
  • Questionnaire