Frequently asked questions

Members of Springer’s society liaison team and of the SpringerLink team answer your questions.

When does an editor need a society liaison?

If the Society or Societies associated with the Journal will handle their member subscriptions and payments, and the Society will submit these names and payment to Springer, then a Society Liaison will be assigned. The Liaison can help answer any questions or concerns the Editor may have while negotiating with the Society. Once the Agreement has been reached, the Liaison will make sure all items regarding society subscriptions and payment are carried out during the duration of the Agreement.

Do societies have to pre-pay for their member subscriptions each year?

No. Payment is based on the Publishing Agreement. For most of the societies that I handle, invoicing may be done only once a year, quarterly or on an issue by issue basis. No matter when payment is received, the society member receives the full volume for the current year.

If the society is an “external” society, whereby they send to Springer a label file for each issue, do these members receive back copies?

The answer depends on the arrangements made with the Editor and the Society. If the Society would like their members to receive back copies, then the answer is “yes”. And that means a separate label file needs to be submitted for any member needing back copies. If the answer is “no”, then no further action is necessary.

Journal access-related questions

How does HTTP referrer authentication work and is this the best option for my society?

The member of the society logs in to the society website or portal. They then click on the posted hyperlink to the publication. This would then bring them to the publication page for the society publication on www.springerlink.com where they would be recognized as the society. The member does not need to log in again to obtain access to the full text of their title.

The benefits of HTTP referrer for societies:

Society would like branding exposure and their website or a portal to be the centralized site for all society related activities and access.

Society would like to maintain their own membership lists and access control.

Springer requirements for set up of an HTTP referrer

• referring url cannot be an HTTPS
  
• hyperlink to SpringerLink must be posted behind the protected log in area of the society website or portal
  
• society needs to provide a test username and password for their website or portal while setting up the referrer
  

HTTP referrer can be set up at any time, when the society has the above requirements established.

Our members would appreciate having a link to the journal contents in the protected members-only area of our website. How can this be arranged?

This http referrer access can be implemented if all members subscribe. The members would log into the society website and click on the posted hyperlink to the publication. This would then bring them to springerlink.com where they would be automatically authenticated and would not need to log in again to obtain access to the full text of the title.

In order to set up an HTTP referrer, the following requirements must be met:

• cannot be an HTTPS
  
• hyperlink to SpringerLink must be posted behind the protected login area of the society website
  

We provide your webmaster with a URL to be set up in this protected area. We will need a test login and will then retrieve the referrer.

There is a link to the journal in the members-only portion of our website, but now and then we receive complaints from members not getting free access to the full texts when using this link. What’s wrong?

In most cases this is caused by a setting on the member’s PC. Please advise any members experiencing problems with automatic authentication from the HTTP refer as follows: If the member has anti-virus software (such as Norton) installed on his/her computer, he/she may need to disable the HTTP referrer blocker in order for the authentication process from the society website to SpringerLink to work properly.

If you have any further access-related questions, please contact us at Societies-online@springer.com

Questions concerning the print journal & shipping

Our members are entitled to receive the year´s back issues if they renew later in the calendar year. Some say that it takes a long time until the back issues reach them. Very often they receive current issues first.

Sending out single copies of a current issue to your members is an automated process an the mailing time is relatively short - depending on the location. With back issues the handling is different. They have to be picked from the shelves in the warehouse, parcels have to be packed, and the mailing time is much longer because of the weight of a parcel containing a number of journal copies compared to the mailing time of one shrink-wrapped journal copy.

One of our members has renewed his membership retroactively and would now like to have the journal´s back volumes. Is this possible?

Usually last year´s volume is completely in stock and deliverable. For earlier volumes access to the electronic journal version is offered.

As the administrative secretary of our society, I receive a number of copies of the journal and mail them to our members. Can the journals be sent directly to our members instead?

This additional service is possible. You can send us a list (Excel spreadsheet preferred) with the names and addresses of the members to receive the journal as early in the year as possible. We enter the subscription into our subscription database for the year. In case of changes (new members, address changes, cancellations) you can provide an updated list by email. This additional service will have an impact on the current member rate to cover the postage and handling.

Questions about multiple-year memberships and rolling memberships

Our society´s membership is rolling, i.e. the duration is 12 months from the date a member joins us. Can you handle our member subscriptions and how can this be arranged?

You can send us an Excel spreadsheet with the names and addresses of the members entitled to receive the next issue. We will contact you to ask for this file several days before an issue appears and then print mailing labels from the file. Please ask for a sample file if this procedure meets with your approval.

Our society has introduced multiple-year memberships. Can Springer’s fulfillment system record multi-year subscriptions?

Yes, this is possible. Please provide us with a complete file of subscribers along with their addresses and expiration date of their subscription.

Questions concerning invoicing and payment

I have received your invoice. Please let me know how to pay it. Can I send a check?

We offer three possibilities to pay an invoice:

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We charge your credit card

Please email or fax your credit card details (number and expiration date). We accept Amex, Visa, and Mastercard.

You send a check to

Springer-Verlag GmbH

Heidelberger Platz 3

14197 Berlin

Germany

or - for the Americas - to

Springer

Journal Fulfillment

PO BOX 13301

Newark, NJ 07101-3301

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You remit the amount to our account

Account holder:Springer-Verlag GmbH, Heidelberger Platz 3, 14197 Berlin, Germany

Bank: Deutsche Bank AG, Otto-Suhr-Allee 6/16, 10585 Berlin, Germany

Account no.:0216176

Swift-Code/BIC: DEUTDEBB

IBAN: DE 41 1007 0000 0021 6176 00

– for the Americas –

Account Holder: Springer Science and Business Media

Bank: Deutsche Bank Trust Co

Account No. 00-460-699

SWIFT Code: BKTRUS33

Bank Transit No. 021001033

Please do not forget to give the invoice number or your customer number on a check or on a transfer form to enable us to correctly book the payment.

If you are a customer of Springer France, Springer Italia, Springer Japan, etc. please carefully check the invoice for different information and contact the relevant branch if you have questions.

Some weeks ago I sent you a check to pay your invoice and now I have received a reminder. What should I do?

If possible, please send us a copy of the check so we can trace it. Check with your bank if your account has been debited. If this is not the case, the check has probably been lost and should be cancelled immediately if our search proves to be unsuccessful.

If your account has been debited, please send a copy of the relevant statement of account so that we can check when and by whom this check was cashed.

I am the society’s treasurer. In the invoice I received, an extra 4% of VAT were charged additionally to the price of the journal. Our society is a non-profit organization and to my knowledge exempt from taxation.

Our prices are net prices, subject to local VAT. We are required to add this local VAT on invoices. If your society as a non-profit organization is entitled to get a VAT identification number, we are able to include this number on the invoice instead of adding VAT.

ISI coverage

ISI has accepted our journal for coverage. Can Springer arrange for the back volumes to be sent and added?

Thomson Scientific will not add back issues of a journal to their database. The indexing coverage begins with the year in which the journal was selected.

Questions asked by individual society members

As a member of the society I would like to renew my individual subscription at the special rate offered. Will you send me an invoice?

We will send a pro forma invoice as an offer to subscribe. The journal copies will be mailed after receipt of payment. You can speed up this procedure considerably by providing us with your credit card details. Please do not forget to give the month/year of expiration.

I am a society member and I would like to know why I have to order the journal at Springer whereas I receive another journal automatically.

Your membership fee includes the journal that is automatically sent to you. Your society decided to offer the members an additional journal on a voluntary basis and discussed a special rate with us, but wanted us to take over the administration of these subscriptions.

I am a society member. I paid for my membership in Sept. and have received the Oct., Nov. and Dec. issues. I was surprised to see on the Society website that my membership expired 3 months after registration. Do I have to pay again in January?

Membership to this society is valid through the calendar year. By activating your membership in September you should have also received the back issues January through September. These will be mailed to you. To receive the journal without any interruptions, please renew your membership in January.

To check if membership to a society works by calendar year or “rolls over” (e.g., April – March), please consult the bylaws of your society or the application form.