Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you charge?
Initially Sociological Research Online was set up with funding from the Elib programme and was free to all. This funding ended in 1998 and we now charge institutions for access to the journal to cover the costs of producing it. These include desk space, salary for a part-time publishing assistant, maintenance and development of the website, costs associated with the management of the journal such as servicing the management and editorial boards, and renumerating the editorial team.
As with other journals we aim to review our fee on an annual basis. We believe that in comparison to other journals our subscription fee is competitive.
What does an institutional subscription entitle us to?
A subscription covers one Class B or equivalent IP network and allows unhindered access to the full archive of Sociological Research Online.
Do readers need a username and password?
No
Who has to pay additional tax?
Value Added Tax (VAT) is applicable to subscriptions set up on behalf of institutions in the European Union. The prevailing rate is 17.5%.
How long does a subscription last?
A subscription lasts for 12 months from setup, and does not run by volume or fixed date.
Is it possible to purchase single articles from the journal?
No, this is not a service that we currently offer.
Can remote staff and students access the journal if we have a subscription?
If staff or students have access to the Internet via a commercial Internet Service Provider, or by dialing through a subscribed institution then they can continue to read the journal. They won't be able to if they are working at an unsubscribed institution, i.e. at another university or in employment.
My library subscribes, but I am denied access to the journal. Why?
Access to Sociological Research Online is based on IP authentication. If you are accessing from a subscribed network then you will get access. However, if your network is set up to use the JANET national cache, then requests for pages appear to come from the JANET network and not your insitution. Therefore you will not gain access. To resolve this problem, ensure that your computing or library service configure their local cache not to pass requests for journal pages to the JANET national cache.
