Charging policies and practice in corporate information units in the UK 2: How to charge

Abstract

Methods of charging for information services are reviewed. A survey of 58 information units in product-based industries and eight units in service-based companies explored charging practices. Many services were charging tor just a few high cost services, such as online searches, interlibrary loans. or evaluative reports. Charges were usually set either by estimates of use or by set rates tor services. Cost estimates often did not include overheads, and quite often did not include staff costs. How specific services are charged was explored, as was price-setting. This preliminary survey was exploratory in nature and forms a basis for further study.