Additional Content Options
Elsevier Backfiles on ScienceDirect
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.
Q: Do I have to purchase the entire collection?
A: The backfiles collection can be purchased as a complete set, or per each pre-defined, subject-specific package. The purchase of individual journals or tailored journal lists is not possible.
Q: What will I have to pay next year - are there any hidden costs?
A: A one off purchase with no annual fees for as long as you remain a ScienceDirect subscriber.
Q: Is the article text in HTML format?
A: The articles are in PDF format. The title, authors, keywords, citations, references and abstracts are in HTML.
Q: Now that my users have access to the backfiles, what happens if they want access to the recent journal issues to which we are not subscribed?
A: Your users will have access to the abstracts of all non-subscribed material, and you can obtain more recent articles via Pay per View, or by subscribing to the journal on ScienceDirect.
Q: Is there a backfiles price difference between SDOS (ScienceDirect OnSite) and SDOL (ScienceDirect OnLine) customers?
A: No, there is no difference. Backfiles can be delivered to SDOS customers for local loading. Technical information is available from your Regional Sales Office. The only difference is that all ScienceDirect online customers will be able to search and view all backfiles abstracts, regardless of backfiles purchase. SDOS customers will, of course, only be able to access the abstracts of those backfiles which they have purchased and loaded locally.
Backfiles - Pre-1995
Backfiles on ScienceDirect are available to existing ScienceDirect customers in pre-defined clusters - meaning you know exactly what you're buying before committing any budget.
The Backfiles collections comprise, per main subject area, all journal titles and content available prior to 1995 going back as far as Elsevier has the electronic rights to do so, which is often back to Volume 1, Issue 1. There are currently 29 subject- and title-specific backfile packages available in the Elsevier Backfiles Program:
Selected titles, such as The Lancet and Cell Press titles, are sold as stand-alone packages and are not associated with specific subject areas. Subject Backfile packages are sold as one-off purchases to licensed ScienceDirect customers and archival rights are included provided the customer retains their SD license.
Customers who purchase Backfiles have archival rights without any recurring annual fees, as long as they retain their ScienceDirect license. If they cancel their license, they can choose continued access for an annual fee based on the usage model of the previous 12 months, or the backfiles can be put on tape at cost, or they lose all rights.
Backfiles offerings differ from Subject Areas, Subject Collections and the Freedom Collection. Lists were compiled and titles assigned to specific backfiles based on their subject matter. The reason that Backfiles are somewhat different from Subject Classifications, etc., is because titles that ceased before 1995 were never in ScienceDirect, therefore they did not have any classifications to guide the process of compiling the backfiles subject lists, therefore the alignment with Subject Classifications and Backfiles is therefore not exact, but nonetheless is close. In addition, titles pre-1995 for which we do not yet have electronic rights have also, by necessity, been omitted from the lists. Overlap does occur between backfiles packages, as these are market-facing products as explained for Subject Collections.
Backfiles - Post-1994
This program enables ScienceDirect customers to fill in backfiles for specific titles from 1995 onwards that are not included as part of their current subscription entitlement (4-year backfile plus the current year building). They can be purchased for a one-time fee by on a title-by-title basis at a 2.5% of the current catalogue subscription price x the number of years involved. The Backfile titles selected must match all or a subset of the customer's holdings. Ongoing access at no recurring annual cost is guaranteed providing a ScienceDirect license is maintained.
Backfiles Supplements
Since the original Backfiles initiative was launched in 2000, Elsevier has acquired many new titles ranging from Harcourt to Urban & Fischer, to individually acquired titles. Many of these titles have content prior to 1995 and are therefore eligible to become part of a subject Backfiles Supplement package related to the parent Backfiles subject package. These Backfiles Supplement packages may be purchased by existing customers who have purchased the parent subject package. New customers automatically purchase the parent package and supplement as a single package.
Most of the Harcourt Health titles and Elsevier Health titles have been launched together as parent packages (Medicine and Dentistry; Nursing and Health Professions; Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine) because these were compiled and launched much later in the program. Other subject areas will be updated via supplement packages.
Backfile archival rights are as above.