CNKI

The predecessor of CNKI, China Academic Journals CD-ROM (CAJ-CD), was launched in January 1997 as China's first academic journal search system that publishes regularly. It included 3,500 Chinese journals in the fields of sciences, engineering, humanities, and social science.{{cite book |last1=Liu |first1=Zhenxi |last2=Li |first2=Runsong |last3=Ye |first3=Qian |date=2006 |publisher=Tsinghua University Press |isbn=9787302130680|title=Shiyong xinxi jiansuo jishu gailun|location=Beijing|script-title=zh:实用信息检索技术概论|trans-title=Overview of practical information search technologies}}{{rp|108}}

Published by a unit under Tsinghua University and created with the permission of the National Press and Publication Administration, the database was released as CD-ROMs, with each containing journals of a field. A disc was released monthly, except the volume on the arts, history, and philosophy, which was released every two months. In 1999, the database could also be accessed on the web.{{rp|108}} It allowed users to comment, search, and inquire about academic works.{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=Dan |last2=Zou |first2=Jin |last3=Huang |first3=Rui |last4=Wei |first4=Fengping |title=Jizhong guangdie shujuku de bijiao yanjiu |trans-journal=Library and Information Service |date=2000 |issue=9 |pages=43–46 |url=https://www.lis.ac.cn/EN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=18812 |access-date=3 January 2024 |script-title=zh:几种光盘数据库的比较研究 |trans-title=A comparative study of three CD-ROM databases |script-journal=zh:图书情报工作 |journal=Tushu Qingbao Gongzuo |archive-date=3 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103183118/https://www.lis.ac.cn/EN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=18812 |url-status=live }}{{rp|43}}

In August 1997, the China Academic Journals Electronic Publishing House (CAJEPH) was established under the governance of the National Press and Publication Administration. The operation was run by Tsinghua University.{{Cite web |last=sina_mobile |date=2002-08-21 |title=中国学术期刊(光盘版)电子杂志社简介 |url=https://edu.sina.cn/sa/2002-08-21/detail-ikftssap7656695.d.html |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=edu.sina.cn |archive-date=2023-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421055122/https://edu.sina.cn/sa/2002-08-21/detail-ikftssap7656695.d.html |url-status=live }}

CNKI owns a system called "China Integrated Knowledge Resources System," including journals, doctoral dissertations, masters' theses, proceedings, newspapers, yearbooks, statistical yearbooks, e-books, patents and standards.{{Cite web |title=CNKI and Utilization - CNKI |url=https://oversea.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?QueryID=1&CurRec=3&DbCode=CJFD&dbname=CJFD2005&filename=JTXU200504020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413051041/https://oversea.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?QueryID=1&CurRec=3&DbCode=CJFD&dbname=CJFD2005&filename=JTXU200504020 |archive-date=2021-04-13 |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=oversea.cnki.net}} In 2013, CNKI became the second DOI registration agency in mainland China,{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Runda |last2=Zhu |first2=Yunqiang |last3=Liu |first3=Chuang |last4=Wu |first4=Lizong |date=September 2014 |title=Woguo kexue shuju DOI yingyong xianzhuang, wenti yu duice |script-title=zh:我国科学数据DOI应用现状、问题与对策 |trans-title=Analysis on the Current Status, Problems & Countermeasures of Scientific Data DOI in China |url=http://journals.istic.ac.cn/zgkjzydk/ch/reader/create_pdf.aspx?file_no=20140511&year_id=2014&quarter_id=5&falg=1 |journal=Zhongguo Keji Ziyuan Daokan |language=zh-Hans |volume=46 |issue=5 |pages=65–71 |access-date=2022-09-30 |archive-date=2022-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930193141/http://journals.istic.ac.cn/zgkjzydk/ch/reader/create_pdf.aspx?file_no=20140511&year_id=2014&quarter_id=5&falg=1 |url-status=live }} after the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

By 2022, CNKI has been criticized for its high subscription fees that could be maintained because of its monopoly over journal search and collection service in China. Prominent Chinese universities and research institutions, including Peking University and the state-owned Chinese Academy of Sciences, have stopped subscribing to CNKI because of the fees.{{Cite news |last=Xie|first=Echo|date=2022-04-19 |title=China's biggest academic database too expensive for its top research body |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3174687/top-research-body-cuts-use-chinas-largest-online-academic |access-date=2022-06-08 |work=South China Morning Post |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608004508/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3174687/top-research-body-cuts-use-chinas-largest-online-academic |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|last=Liu|first=Jing|date=2022-05-13 |title=China's biggest academic database faces anti-monopoly probe |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/chinas-biggest-academic-database-faces-anti-monopoly-probe |access-date=2022-06-08 |work=Times Higher Education |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608005120/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/chinas-biggest-academic-database-faces-anti-monopoly-probe |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|last=Wu |first= Peiyue|date=2022-04-19 |title=China's Top Research Agency Stops Using Costly Academic Database |url=https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1010163/chinas-top-research-agency-stops-using-costly-academic-database |access-date=2022-06-08 |work=Sixth Tone |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615064806/https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1010163/chinas-top-research-agency-stops-using-costly-academic-database |url-status=live }}

The public controversy was followed by a Chinese government investigation for anti-competitive practices. In May 2022, the State Administration for Market Regulation launched an investigation into CNKI.{{Cite news|last=Feng|first=Coco|date=2022-05-16 |title=How China's largest academic database allegedly abused market power for years |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3177897/chinas-largest-academic-research-database-cnki-had-years-alleged-market |access-date=2022-06-08 |work=South China Morning Post |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608005120/https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3177897/chinas-largest-academic-research-database-cnki-had-years-alleged-market |url-status=live }} The regulator said that since 2014, CNKI had violated anti-competition laws by raising prices repeatedly and splitting its database into smaller ones while keeping the price (see shrinkflation).{{Cite news |title=Shichang Jianguan Zongju yifa dui Zhiwang lanyong shichang zhipei diwei xingwei zuochu xingzheng chufa bing zeling qi quanmian zhenggai |script-title=zh:市场监管总局依法对知网滥用市场支配地位行为作出行政处罚并责令其全面整改 |language=zh-Hans |trans-title=State Administration for Market Regulation imposes administrative fine and urges full rectification to CNKI for abusing monopolistic market position |work=Xinhuanet |agency=Xinhua News Agency |url=http://www.news.cn/legal/2022-12/26/c_1129233199.htm |url-status=live |access-date=2024-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226082520/http://www.news.cn/legal/2022-12/26/c_1129233199.htm |archive-date=2022-12-26}} The regulator also found that CNKI's operator use exclusivity clauses to prohibit tertiary institutions from granting publishing rights of articles and theses to third parties. In December, CNKI's operator was fined 87.6 million Chinese yuan (US$12.6 million), or 5 percent of its sales in China in 2021, and asked to cancel its exclusive agreements.

In June 2022, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced a cybersecurity review on CNKI "to prevent national data security risks, safeguard national security, and protect public interests".{{Cite news |date=2022-06-24 |title=China's largest academic database CNKI put under cybersecurity review |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3183008/chinas-internet-watchdog-launches-cybersecurity-investigation |access-date=2022-07-12|last=Shen|first=Xinmei |work=South China Morning Post |language=en |archive-date=2022-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711230934/https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3183008/chinas-internet-watchdog-launches-cybersecurity-investigation |url-status=live }}{{cite news |first=Raffaele|last=Huang| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-probes-operator-of-nations-biggest-academic-database-11656074605 | title=China Probes Operator of Nation's Biggest Academic Database | newspaper=Wall Street Journal | date=2022-06-24| access-date=30 September 2022 | archive-date=2022-07-06 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706022404/https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-probes-operator-of-nations-biggest-academic-database-11656074605 | url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last1=Lirun|first1=Zezi|last2=Guo|first2=Meiting|last3=Luo|first3=Tian'en|work=21 Jingji |date=2022-06-24 |script-title=zh:知网被查！网络安全审查或成我国网络安全生态治理常态化元素|title=Zhiwang bei cha! Wangluo anquan shencha huo cheng woguo wangluo anquan shengtai zhili changtaihua yuansu |trans-title=CNKI under investigation! Cybersecurity review might become a new norm in the governance of the internet security ecosystem|url=https://www.21jingji.com/article/20220624/herald/bf0ebed24580fd1a3dc0cf24b05d5dad.html|access-date=2022-09-30 |archive-date=2023-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607065149/https://www.21jingji.com/article/20220624/herald/bf0ebed24580fd1a3dc0cf24b05d5dad.html|url-status=live |language=zh-cn}} CNKI was fined 50 million Chinese yuan (US$6.84 million) for not disclosing the terms of personal information collection, allowing account deletion, and removing personal information after an account is deleted.{{cite news |last1=Du |first1=Zhihang |last2=Jia |first2=Denise |title=China Fines Top Academic Database $6.84 Million |url=https://www.caixinglobal.com/2023-09-07/china-fines-top-academic-database-684-million-102101122.html |access-date=3 January 2024 |website=Caixin Global |date=2023-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907070629/https://www.caixinglobal.com/2023-09-07/china-fines-top-academic-database-684-million-102101122.html |archive-date=2023-09-07 |language=en}}

In March 2023, CNKI said that it will terminate access for universities and research institutions outside of mainland China.{{Cite news |title=China slashing foreign subscriber access to key research database |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/China-slashing-foreign-subscriber-access-to-key-research-database|last=Pak|first=Yiu |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Nikkei Asia |language=en-GB |archive-date=2023-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330010540/https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/China-slashing-foreign-subscriber-access-to-key-research-database |url-status=live }} However, the British Library and some universities in Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Malaysia, Macau, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States can still access CNKI through their university library portals.{{Cite web |author=CNKI |date=2023 |title=CNKI institution login page |url=https://fsso.oversea.cnki.net/login_en.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104035456/https://fsso.oversea.cnki.net/login_en.aspx |archive-date=2024-01-04}}

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Category:Academic publishing companies

Category:Chinese digital libraries

Category:Commercial digital libraries

Category:1996 establishments in China

Category:Scholarly search services

Category:Tsinghua University