[Sigia-l] Who here is paying for content?

[Jan Knight]

Kathleen Klein wrote:
 
> I'd like to hear from people who actually pay for content on the Internet.
> > In what form? Subscriptions, micropayments, per-piece payments? For fun or
> business?

Although I subscribe to this list via my "day" job at the University of
Arizona, I am actually an independent Information Broker who does online
(primarily) research for a living also.

Because I'm a member of AIIP (Assoc of Independent Information
Professional) I get discounts to some pay for content vehicles. 

I subscribe to the following:

Lexis Nexis (actually the Nexis.com part via web interface. I am a
transactional user and pay by "library" that I use which varies between
approx. $35 to $100.  For this you can search "within" that library
only.

Dow Jones Interactive/Factiva -via the web. They're set up differently
and although I'm still a transactional user all searching of citations
is basically free and then you pay for the articles.  Approx. $2.50
each.

Occasionally, I use a Dun and Bradstreet report for a few dollars and a
report from FreePint (a UK source) also a few dollars each depending on
what you're getting.

I'm planning on subscribing to Hoovers.com soon. It'll be about
$100/year with my association discount I think.


As an FYI - the "charging for content" is a huge issue in our business.
You should also know that many of my AIIP colleagues (one or two of whom
I think are on this list too) use DIALOG, one of the biggies in the
database information biz.
That's an interesting software to analyze cost wise now that there are
numerous ways to access it and be charged.  I can probably refer you to
an article or two about the various ways of being charged and
comparisons if you want.

Hope this is useful.

Regards Jan
(Signing off today as:  Jan Knight
			Independent Information Specialist
			Bancroft Information Services
			www.bancroftinfo.com
		(mailto:jan at bancroftinfo.com
------------------------------
Jan Knight
Senior Research Specialist
Office of Distributed Learning
CCIT Room 337
N. Highland Drive
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
ph:520-626-7761
fx:520 626-8220
(mailto:jknight at u.arizona.edu)