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How it Works
How a Rating Is Assigned
The Library Partnership Rating’s methodology begins when LPR authors select a journal publisher to evaluate. If the selected publisher publishes more than 20 journals, LPR authors generate a list of 20 journal titles by random selection for a scorer to evaluate.
Scorers are librarians who, as part of their professional service contributions, participate in a workshop introducing the LPR Rubric. Scorers disclose to LPR authors any conflicts of interest. After the workshop, LPR authors assign to each scorer a journal publisher to evaluate. Each scorer receives a copy of the rubric spreadsheet with an anonymized scorer identification number. They also receive either the full list of the publisher’s journal titles to evaluate (if the total portfolio of journals is 20 or fewer) or a list of 20 journal titles from the publisher’s total portfolio.
Using the LPR Instructions for Scoring, each scorer completes the rubric spreadsheet and submits it to the authors. Two librarians evaluate each publisher using the rubric. The librarians do not know the identity of the other scorer and all rubrics are anonymized. After both completed rubrics for a publisher are submitted:
LPR authors compare the LPR Rubrics completed by each scorer. If there are differences, the scores are reviewed and resolved by a group of LPR reviewer librarians and/or the authors.
The publisher’s earned LPR Tier is determined.
LPR Tiers are shared.
The publisher is alerted and offered the LPR Publisher Questionnaire to provide feedback. The invitation is sent after the publisher’s initial tier is determined.
Questions often arise about societies that publish. When a learned society publishes journals through a larger publisher, such as Oxford University Press or Wiley, the society is included in the evaluation of the larger publisher(s). (Example: American Society of Plant Biologists journals are published by Oxford UP and Wiley.) Learned societies that publish journals as an independent publisher are evaluated as a publisher and earn their own LPR score. (Example: American Society for Microbiology journals are published by the ASM.)
LPR coauthors plan to invite more scorers to evaluate additional publishers on a regular basis. Coauthors hope to update the scores for each publisher, and the LPR Rubric, every two years.
LPR Rubric and Rating Tiers
The more points a publisher earns in the LPR Rubric, the higher their overall score. A higher score earns a publisher a higher overall partnership level, designated by a tier. LPR Tier 1 partners have practices strongly aligned with library values. LPR Tier 4 partners have practices that, compared to other publishers, are least aligned with library values.
Tiers are determined by the total points a publisher earns. For 2024, tiers are set as:
• Tier 1 = 46-61 points
• Tier 2 = 36-45 points
• Tier 3 = 26-35 points
• Tier 4 = 0-25 points
Note that for scoring in 2024, a publisher may earn a total of 61 points. While the rubric itself has a total of 65 points, there are four points that no publisher will earn in 2024. For example, the point for 1.B.i, “Publisher has submitted the LP Publisher Questionnaire this year,” cannot be earned until the publisher has an opportunity to submit the questionnaire.
Libraries may use the overall score a publisher earns, or any combination or subset of criteria, to help inform their budgetary decisions. The criteria are not associated with licensing terms or contracts between individual libraries or consortia and publishers. They are determined by publicly available practices and data.
Journal publishers can see how their practices are rated by librarians and use that as a benchmark. Publishers are encouraged to contact LPR authors to provide more information and updates.
Anyone may use, reuse, and share the rubric and its contents for their own work.
Call for Participation
Would you like to serve as a scorer? Do you want to respond to a rating? We’re looking for participation and feedback from both librarians and publishers.
