Proceedings of the International Conference on Scientific Information Two Volumes (1959) / Chapter Skim
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Cost Analysis of Bibliographies or Bibliographic Services
Cost Analysis of Bibliographies or Bibliographic Services
Pages 381-392
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From page 381... ...
Finally one of the most significant factors, which usually operates in direct opposition to that which would be predicted, is the rising cost with increasing volume or size of a bibliography, for the extra controls, tools, possible mechanization, research, development of cocles or class systems for large projects more than offsets any savings due to "streamlining." MALCOLM RIGBY and MARIAN K RIGBY American Meteorological Society, Washington, D
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From page 382... ...
of the project increases. No one would question the fact that accuracy of entries, type of reproduction or country of preparation would make a considerable difference in unit cost, but the actual amount ofthis difference would be sheer guesswork without some quantitative data based on an actual comparison involving duplication of work at home and abroad.
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From page 383... ...
In some cases the figures may be considered confidential, yet the "unit cost" could be entered in the revised cost analysis table and could affect the curves on the nomogram, thus making them more meaningful. Types of bibliographies Figure 1 shows eight curves representing the eight basic types of bibliographies designated below and indicating the approximate cost per item for the range from 10 to TO items (or items per year)
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From page 384... ...
384 oo o F~`nctio?
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From page 385... ...
5,000 Type Characteristic I Copy II Arrange III Search IV Index V Abstract VI Translate VII Mechanize VIII Reference for $55.00 85.00 i80.00 230.00 800.00 500.00 5000.00 1000.00 i, ~ lop $7,000 18,000 36,000 50,000 50,000 20,000 220,000 80,000 a 105 lo6 $60,000 150,000 260,000 400,000 1,300,000 1,800,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 Nonsense Nonsense $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $10,000,000 $20,000,000 $15,000,000 $12,000,000 a These figures for a Sputnik type of over-all abstracting service should probably be doubled to allow for inflation while the project is being discussed, explored, coordinated, approved, financed, activated, and mechanized or put into operation (about 3 to 6 years)
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From page 386... ...
Thirdly, the variable labor costs and other factors (such as skilled personnel, well-organized analytical catalogs in libraries of countries like England, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Japan, compared with those of the United States, where such analytical catalogs are rare) , cheaper reproduction costs, etc., make it about 50~O cheaper to do the work abroad if proper arrangements can be made.
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From page 387... ...
An index was provided. Conclusions The results of this study of unit costs of several different types of bibliographies prepared, under controlled conditions, in the United States and abroad and of a number of more comprehensive bibliographies and abstracting or indexing
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From page 388... ...
Another important element is the amount of service renclerecT in aciclition to the visible product: Development of new methocis, tools, reference service, special bibliographies, interagency or international cooperation, printed carcis or microcard service to libraries, etc. The cost prediction nomogram (Fig.
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From page 389... ...
VII Searching, arranging, abstracting, indexing by machine. VIII Searching, arranging with reference and bibliographic service.
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From page 390... ...
Costs involved were: I Organization II Locating and copying III Editing IV Typing and proofreading V Duplicating VI Overhead Total cost ~ C~ _ _ 7~ _ c~ :~ _ $ 5.00 21.00 3.75 9.50 10.80 5.00 $55.05 Exhibit 2 Copying English and foreign' language references: A selective, mnitilingual bibliography on Antarctic meteorology This bibliography, also one of the simpler types, involves! the location of a bibliography on Antarctic meteorology containing foreign as well as English language references, the selection of the 100 items desired, the copying of these items on cards, numbering and typing the bibliography, and mimeographing.
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From page 391... ...
Costs involved were: I Organization II Searching, locating, copying, and arranging III Editing IV Duplicating V Overhead Total cost $10.00 32.40 3.00 53.70 6.00 $105.10 Exhibit s Searching, copying, and arranging multilingual references from various sources; work Forte in Japan: Noctilucent and nacreous clouds (by DR.
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From page 392... ...
Costs involved were: I Organization II Searching, locating, copying, and arranging III Editing IV Duplicating V Overhead Total cost $10.00 (50.00)
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