DU Research Takes a Back Seat, Subscriptions of Databases Not Renewed
Delhi University has not updated its subscription to over 40 online databases which provide access to journals and other information for researchers and scholars. The updating stopped due to funds.
The University of Delhi has not renewed its subscription for more than 40 online databases. These DU online databases provide access to journals other study material. Many scholars are facing problems due to the same as they have been cut off from the vital research material.
According to the sources, in the year 2015 Delhi University stopped renewing its subscriptions to around 29 online databases. It had direct subscription for these and it includes IEEE explore. IEEE explore has study and research material for electric engineering, computer science, and electronics and it has not been renewed since 2016. Another such subscription is Emerald Management Extra, which provides access to management journals and it has not been updated since 2015.
DU's library system revealed that the updates stopped as the funds for these databases were provided until 2014 by the university administration. Even after the funds stopped the university continued to update 40 databases. Also, the decision regarding the renewal system is taken by a standing committee and those were chosen renewal which was less costly. Important subscriptions such as Science Direct cost around Rs.90 lakh per year and they cannot update the same without funds.
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As per the sources, from the year 2015, the university took a decision to no long subscribe to the print editions of the journals which were available online and now even the online journals cannot be accessed by the researchers. Due to the non-renewal of DU subscriptions researchers and scholars are facing a huge problem.