Article type
Year
Abstract
Background:
The Philippines experienced widespread destruction and additional casualties from Typhoon Haiyan in October and November of 2013. Cochrane and Wiley, working in consultation with the Evidence Aid project, made one-click access to The Cochrane Library freely available for all residents of the Philippines until the end of March 2014.
Objectives:
To analyse usage data from the Philippines in order to determine the impact of complimentary access on usage during the free access period. To determine whether our efforts in promoting the free access effectively reached aid workers in the target area.
Methods:
Wiley’s usage figures were used to analyse data on geographically targeted visitors from October 2013 through to March 2014. Usage was compared to prior years to determine how free access impacted usage. We will analyse whether Cochrane reviews specific to dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster were among the most accessed content during the period following Typhoon Haiyan. The usage of Evidence Aid Special Collections will also be analysed to determine if there was an increase in usage of these resources.
Results:
Usage of The Cochrane Library in the Philippines increased dramatically during the free access period from October 2013 to March 2014. We will analyse usage again in June 2014 to see whether temporary free access had a lasting effect on overall usage in the months following the free access period. In June 2014, we will survey Wiley sales teams in the region to assess whether the free access period led to increased interest in subscriptions in the intervening period.
Conclusions:
Free access is a valuable tool to make available to communities dealing with disasters. We wish to continue to offer access to The Cochrane Library and promote its availability to aid workers in the most effective way possible. Conclusions will be drawn from the analysis once the data are available.
The Philippines experienced widespread destruction and additional casualties from Typhoon Haiyan in October and November of 2013. Cochrane and Wiley, working in consultation with the Evidence Aid project, made one-click access to The Cochrane Library freely available for all residents of the Philippines until the end of March 2014.
Objectives:
To analyse usage data from the Philippines in order to determine the impact of complimentary access on usage during the free access period. To determine whether our efforts in promoting the free access effectively reached aid workers in the target area.
Methods:
Wiley’s usage figures were used to analyse data on geographically targeted visitors from October 2013 through to March 2014. Usage was compared to prior years to determine how free access impacted usage. We will analyse whether Cochrane reviews specific to dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster were among the most accessed content during the period following Typhoon Haiyan. The usage of Evidence Aid Special Collections will also be analysed to determine if there was an increase in usage of these resources.
Results:
Usage of The Cochrane Library in the Philippines increased dramatically during the free access period from October 2013 to March 2014. We will analyse usage again in June 2014 to see whether temporary free access had a lasting effect on overall usage in the months following the free access period. In June 2014, we will survey Wiley sales teams in the region to assess whether the free access period led to increased interest in subscriptions in the intervening period.
Conclusions:
Free access is a valuable tool to make available to communities dealing with disasters. We wish to continue to offer access to The Cochrane Library and promote its availability to aid workers in the most effective way possible. Conclusions will be drawn from the analysis once the data are available.