Elsevier

Elsevier is a Netherlands-based publishing company specializing in scientific, technical, and medical content. It is a part of the RELX Group, formerly known as Reed Elsevier. Its products include journals such as The Lancet and Cell, the ScienceDirect collection of electronic journals, the Trends and Current Opinion series of journals, and the online citation database Scopus. Elsevier's products also include digital tools for research and development (R&D), such as Pathway Studio, QUOSA, and Reaxys. Elsevier publishes approximately 420,000 articles annually in 2,500 journals. Its archives contain seven million publications.

History[edit | edit source]

Elsevier was founded in 1880 and adopted the name and logo from the Dutch publishing house Elzevir that was an inspiration and has no connection to the contemporary Elsevier. The Elzevir family operated as booksellers and publishers in the Netherlands; the founder, Lodewijk Elzevir (1542–1617), lived in Leiden and established the business in 1580.

Products[edit | edit source]

Elsevier's products and services include digital tools for research and development (R&D), such as Pathway Studio, QUOSA, and Reaxys. Elsevier publishes approximately 420,000 articles annually in 2,500 journals. Its archives contain seven million publications.

Criticism and controversies[edit | edit source]

Elsevier has been the subject of numerous controversies related to its business practices, including high prices, support for legislation such as the Research Works Act, and opposition to open access to scholarly information. These controversies have led to protests, including a boycott by academics, which gained significant attention and impact.