Counting on science: securing critical insights for syndicated content

How can the global discovery of reliable, peer-reviewed scientific content become simpler and more effective for all?  

Navigating multiple platforms to find the right scientific knowledge is a headache for researchers. This challenge sparked a joint industry effort to use technology to simplify the discovery process. ​​​​This​ ​led to the development of the Get Full Text Research (GetFTR) ​entitlement checking service​​ which streamlines access by connecting discovery resources and tools directly to entitled versions of record. This paved the way for the ​introduction of syndicated content on ScienceDirect.  

The pilot project for syndicated content on ScienceDirect launched in 2022 between GetFTR collaborators Elsevier, The American Chemical Society, Wiley, Taylor & Francis and later the Royal Society of Chemistry. Content from select journals was made available on the platform, alongside Elsevier content.  

Results from the pilot, together with data insights from COUNTER-compliant usage reports, have demonstrated the value of syndicating content for all parties. A growing number of publishers are now joining, helping advance easier access to science.  

Scale and ease for researchers 

ScienceDirect is a leading research discovery platform. About 95 percent of researchers use it, covering every country of the world. There are currently 23 million articles and book chapters, including almost 4 million open access articles, more than 5,100 peer-reviewed journals, and 48,000 books available on the platform.  

The number of partnering publishers offering syndicated content on ScienceDirect continues to expand from the founding five. Almost half a million syndicated articles are available, on top of the full breadth of Elsevier titles that include highly cited titles such as The Lancet, Cell and Tetrahedron. 

Alongside scale, ScienceDirect users benefit from the range of intuitive tools and features that make discovery faster and easier. These include advanced search tools, plus a reading and search history that tracks the 100 most recent articles or book chapters viewed. Users are offered recommendations based on their reading history and the articles peers have accessed. The availability of remote access means subscribed publications can be read anytime, anywhere, without being limited to an IP range. 

Syndicated content from partner publishers is indexed in Scopus, which enables tracking and identification of any retracted articles – providing an additional benchmark for trust and content integrity. 

Extending reach for publishers 

For publishers, syndicating their content creates the opportunity to extend its reach. The volume of syndicated content on ScienceDirect is rising, as are the number of users accessing it. Syndicated content on the platform is on course to reach 4 million unique users annually. Updates to the algorithm are now helping drive more syndicated content into the recommended article feature.  

Discovery of syndicated content does not come at the expense of search rankings for the platform of origin. The original version of an article is prioritized by search engines such as Google; the syndicated version via ScienceDirect will not surpass it, no matter the scale of the platform. In fact, 47 percent of all views of syndicated content on ScienceDirect are generated within the platform itself, through internal discovery tools. 

The way content is hosted on ScienceDirect has also been engineered to ensure the Google Scholar link remains the property of the original publisher. This means the link will always return the user to the original version of the article. 

Countable value 

Combining content with analytics helps turn complexity into clarity, allowing the delivery of mission-critical insights. The availability of COUNTER-compliant industry-standard usage reports made possible through GetFTR integration​ which provides the publisher’s internal institution ID in responses​, enables librarians to make data-driven decisions about their journal subscriptions. 

COUNTER is an international initiative, setting the standard for reporting usage. It allows online usage statistics – such as downloads, abstract views or searches – to be recorded and reported in a consistent, credible and comparable way. 

When publishers start syndicating content on ScienceDirect there is the opportunity to use​ ​GetFTR which provides real-time entitlement checks for users. GetFTR enables any two publishers who have integrated with it to syndicate content from one platform to another regardless of the size of the publisher or the scale of the platform. This GetFTR capability also enables COUNTER reporting. 

GetFTR allows researchers to easily access the content their institution has made available to them​ and content that is freely available​. A GetFTR Browser Extension is also available, which makes published content more discoverable on any website where a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is ​identified​​.​ 

​​GetFTR functionality is not mandatory for content syndication, but one of the major benefits is that it facilitates COUNTER compliant usage reports to be supplied. ​​​ 

Currently, COUNTER metrics for ScienceDirect are classified as investigative events, which means that when a user looks at the abstract of an article, that event is captured in the usage report. 

Usage metrics can play a vital role in strategic planning. For example, COUNTER reports identify usage at an individual institution level. This allows publishers to see where the researchers accessing their content are based, down to the specific university. 

Having this information can support productive and transparent conversations between publishers and institutions. Publishers can show institutions the usage on their own platform and if they syndicate content on ScienceDirect they can highlight the additional usage generated. This demonstrates extra value for the license purchased by the institution.  

Syndicated content reports allow publishers to show how they’ve maximized visibility and discoverability to serve both readers and authors alike. 

Ease of access and reporting

Librarians often field questions from researchers looking for clarity around what they have access to via their library collection. The existence of syndicated content creates no extra complexity when purchasing licenses. Users can access that publisher’s content whether viewing it on the platform of origin or on ScienceDirect.  

COUNTER reporting can also help analyze the titles of potential interest to users. Publishers can highlight journals that licensed users are attempting to read, but don’t currently have access to. That can give librarians valuable insights into the most desired titles for their users, supporting decisions about future investment.  

Increasing the reach of the version of record

The extended reach of scientific work is of great value to authors. When the publisher syndicates content via ScienceDirect, their work becomes available on the highest volume research publishing site in the world, increasing the reach of the version of record.  

Extending article reach can allow greater sharing and discoverability around the world. Some publishers face challenges getting access into China due to the great firewall. While bigger institutions in China are typically outside the firewall, many highly respected institutions are within it. ScienceDirect has a mirror site behind the firewall of China, helping authors get their research seen.  

Evolving to support the research ecosystem

The possibilities presented in content syndication make it an important solution for all members of the scientific community. This project, born out of determination, collaboration and a desire to use technology to provide better solutions for better outcomes will continue to evolve to support the entire research ecosystem.