FAR_13.5_SSJ_IEEE Xplore Database_DataPort Add_Redacted.pdf

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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I. Contracting Activity.

II. Nature and/or description of the action being processed.

This effort will be awarded as a new, Firm Fixed Price (FFP) purchase order.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Library Council (D'Azzo Research Library) has a requirement to renew electronic access to the IEEE Xplore database / electronic library for 2024.

subscription period running from 01 January 2024 through 31 December 2024, utilizing FY24 3600 funds. This sole source requirement will be met by the following organization:

P00001 - This modification will add access to the IEEE DataPort data management platform. IEEE DataPort is an easily accessible platform that enables users to store, search, access, and manage data. The period of performance will run for 12 months after receipt of order (ARO).

III. Description of supplies/services required to meet agency needs.

The AFRL Library Council has a requirement for an online aerospace engineering literature database that meets the laboratory's mission to "lead the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces." The AFRL libraries support civilian, contractor, and military personnel, primarily scientists and engineers (S&Es), assigned to the eight AFRL technical directorates which include Aerospace Systems, Airman Systems, Directed Energy, Information, Materials and Manufacturing, Munitions, Sensors, and Space Vehicles and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). The AFRL libraries provide research materials, including databases, electronic books, journals and other services, to all AFRL S&Es. The AFRL Library Council is a consortium that exists to create partnerships among the libraries at the various sites hosting AFRL elements. The different locations are Arlington, VA, Edwards AFB, Eglin AFB, Fort Sam Houston, Kirtland AFB, Rome Research Site, and Wright-Patterson AFB. They cooperatively acquire materials that are made available to civilian, contractor, and military employees across the laboratory. The required database will help the AFRL Library Council meet the above mission by providing the library users with research materials to meet the requirements of the Air Force Research Laboratory's research and development goals.

The IEEE Xplore database's scope is highly focused on the fields of electrical and electronics engineering, with relevant content from affiliated areas and offers a tailored collection of electronic reference resources for scientists and engineers (S&Es) that provides access to full-text titles, primarily peer-reviewed journals and technical papers. Due to the differing research missions of the individual AFRL technical directorates that the libraries support, IEEE Xplore serves as an all-inclusive source of the different materials and allows S&Es the ability to effectively and efficiently research aerospace engineering topics. IEEE Xplore can be made available through the individual AFRL libraries' websites or intranet sites via the EZproxy authentication service, as well as, provides its own interface that can be accessed through an independent website (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/). Xplore allows IEEE material to be downloaded to provide offline access in situations with low or no internet access. IEEE's Xplore database provides online research tools from professionally curated and/or peer-reviewed sources that offer trusted information in abstracts, articles, and electronic journals and papers with a focus on the subject areas listed above.

P00001 - The AFRL D'Azzo Research Library requires access to the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

- IEEE DataPort data management platform. IEEE DataPort is an easily accessible platform that enables users to store, search, access, and manage data. This IEEE data platform subscription is necessary to allow the AFRL D'Azzo Research Library at Wright-Patterson AFB to support the AFRL mission to "lead the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces." Access to the IEEE DataPort enhances the broad

Sole Source (Including Brand Name) Justification - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items

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IV. Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

AFFARS 5313.501 - 10 U.S.C. 2302b, Implementation of Simplified Acquisition Procedures (41 U.S.C. 1901)

V. Demonstration that the contractor's unique qualifications or nature of the acquisition requires the use of the authority cited above (applicability of authority).

AFRL library users require up-to-date, real-time access to an electronic reference resource focused on the areas of electrical and electronics engineering, and other affiliated disciplines, especially any relating to aerospace engineering.

IEEE offers exclusive content via their IEEE Xplore product not available from any other vendor in the market and they do not resell this content using any third-party agents. The IEEE database is available for unlimited simultaneous users to access, and features full-text content that can be downloaded for offline use. This database is only available from IEEE. This IEEE database provides access to in-depth, peer-reviewed research in all areas of electrical and electronics engineering. No other vendor is able to provide the expansive collection of aerospace engineering academic literature required by the libraries.

The IEEE Xplore database is vital to the ongoing mission, outlined in detail in section III, of AFRL. There is no other collection of peer-reviewed academic literature in the fields of electrical and electronics engineering comparable to the copyrighted content of the Xplore database provided by IEEE. The depth and breadth of their database is an essential quality to the AFRL libraries' requirements. This subscription will need to meet the information needs of a wide variety of AFRL scientists and engineers (S&Es). This resource will provide information and data to technical libraries serving all eight AFRL technical directorates and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). The subscription must offer the collection and services to meet the needs of a broad user base, provide high quality electrical and electronics resources, and be accessible in all locations. The depth and breadth of the IEEE Xplore database make it the only feasible supplier that can meet the AFRL libraries' needs and provide customers with an all-inclusive aerospace engineering research database. There are not comparable databases in the market that would cover all of these aspects of the fields of electrical and electronics, and other affiliated disciplines, in one place with the same functionality and access.

IEEE has exclusive legal copyright to its interfaces and publications, requiring the transfer of copyright from the authors of each article it publishes. These sources are vital to the users of the AFRL Library consortium, and to the effectiveness of the technical database. The market research did not provide for any known replacement of the curated content provided by IEEE. The proposed sole source is the only known source capable of providing the supplies for this requirement. Without this sole source acquisition the AFRL library users and staff will not have access to critical, one of a kind content.

P00001 - IEEE DataPort data management platform is vital to the ongoing mission, outlined in detail in Section III, of AFRL to "lead the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces." There is no other secure data storage, searching, accessibility, and management platform comparable to the this data collaboration system provided by IEEE. The flexibility and security of the platform is an essential quality to the AFRL D'Azzo Library's requirements. This subscription will need to meet the information needs of a wide variety of AFRL scientists and engineers (S&Es). The AFRL library supports civilian, contractor, and military personnel, primarily scientists and engineers (S&Es), assigned to the four AFRL technical directorates at Wright- Patterson AFB, including Aerospace Systems, Airman Systems, Materials and Manufacturing, and Sensors. The AFRL library's requirement is for a subscription data management system that meets the demands of high level technical services. The subscription must offer services to meet the needs of a broad S&E user base, provide high quality resources, and be accessible on base and remotely. The curation and quality of the IEEE DataPort data management platform makes it the only feasible supplier that can meet the AFRL library's needs and provide customers with an all-inclusive source of electrical and electronics engineering related data. There are not comparable resources in the market that would provide data from all aspects of these fields in one place with the same functionality and access.

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XI. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required.

AFRL will keep an open dialog with the users/patrons and evaluate statistics to determine the necessity to use this resource to supplement its collection of research databases. AFRL will continue to survey the market for vendors to obtain competition in databases. The library will use publishers' advertisements, professional conferences, vendor demonstrations, customer suggestions and new publication reviews in conducting its surveys.

XII. Certification by the Contracting Officer.

As evidenced by my signature above, I have determined this document to be both accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

XIII. Certification by the technical/requirements personnel.

As evidenced by my (our) signature(s) above, I (we) certify that any supporting data contained herein, which is my (our) responsibility, is both accurate and complete.