The Documents Direct project: evaluating commercial document suppliers

This article will consider seven commercial document suppliers and evaluate them according to criteria established early in the Documents Direct project. It will explain the criteria in terms of each supplier and assess their suitability regarding the project specifically. The Documents Direct project is a 12‐month project at the University of Leeds. Its aim is to assess the costs and benefits of on‐demand single article supply as an alternative to the Library’s established model of full journal acquisitions. The project offers unmediated document ordering and delivery to academics and research staff within the University. The project is funded internally and involves the Schools of Biology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering.