Project COUNTER -a progress report Peter Shepherd Project Director COUNTER

Overview zLibraries need online usage statistics zPublishers need online usage statistics zSTM Publishing is global zHow can we move from usage statistics Babel to a common core of statistics we can trust and compare?

Publishers need usage statistics zTo support library efforts to procure funding zTo demonstrate that reduced usage of print issues has been compensated for by increased online usage zTo assess the relative importance of the various routes via which information reaches its market zTo experiment with new pricing models zTo provide editorial policy support zTo obtain improved market analysis/demographics zTo inform authors where and how articles are used zTo improve site design and navigation zTo plan infrastructure, e.g. mirror sites/caches

Online usage statistics need to be……. zCredible zConsistent zCompatible

zWe conclude that it is largely impossible to compare data across vendors, and we recommend that comparison be limited to data from the same vendors We believe that the comprehensive standardisation of usage statistics and data delivery methods cannot be easily achieved in the short term ARL E-Metrics Phase II Report, Oct 2001

So how do we get there in the medium term? zICOLC Guidelines for statistical measures of usage of web-based information resources zARL E-metrics project zNational Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) Electronic access and use related measures zNISO – revision of of Z39.7 (Library Statistics) zISO – revision of 2789 (library statistics) and (library performance measures) zCowhig proposal for auditing usage data zPALS usage statistics working group

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COUNTER - endorsed by… zAAP, Association of American Publishers zALPSP, The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers zARL, Association of Research Libraries zASA, Association of Subscription Agents and Intermediaries zEDItEUR zJISC, Joint Information Systems Committee zNCLIS, National Commission on Libraries and Information Science zNISO, National Information Standards Organization zPA, The Publishers Association zSTM, International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers zUKSG, United Kingdom Serials Group

International Steering Group zChair: Richard Gedye, Oxford University Press z30 members zEurope: xPA, ASA, ALPSP, JISC, STM, UKSG, Blackwell Publishing, British Library, Elsevier, OUP zUSA xAAP, ACS, ARL, NCLIS, NFAIS, NISO, EBSCO Publishing, Wiley,LWW

2002 Objectives zGain industry support for COUNTER zIncrease awareness of COUNTER zDeliver Release 1 of the Code of Practice: yFocus on journals and databases xIdentify and define data elements to collect xUsage Report content, format and delivery xGuidelines for data processing and auditing

Timeline zMarch 2002 yProject COUNTER formally launched zAugust 2002 yOnline librarian survey completed zOctober 2002 yMajor elements of the Code of Practice in place xUsage Reports, Data Elements, Definitions, Processing zDecember 2002 yRelease 1 of the COUNTER Code of Practice

Progress Report 1: Online Librarian Survey z650 librarians responded y49 corporate librarians yResponses of corporate librarians did not deviate from the whole zFocus on journals & databases zNeed for a small number of reliable reports zReports should be made available on a password-controlled website, with alerts zReports must be provided at least monthly zData must be updated within two weeks of the end of the reporting period zAll of last years data and this years to date must be supplied

Progress Report 2- Usage Reports based on librarian survey zJournal Reports yLevel 1 yFull-text article requests by month and journal yTurnaways by month and journal yLevel 2 yFull-text article requests by month,journal and page type yNot needed yTotal searches run yTime of day report yDay of week report yTotal daily activity report z Database Reports yLevel 1 yTotal searches and sessions by month and database yNot needed yTime of day report yDay of week report yTotal daily activity report

Progress Report 3: Journal Report 1: Full- text article requests by month and journal Journal Name Print ISSN Online ISSN Jan-01Feb-01Mar-01 Journal of AAA Journal of BBB Journal of CCC TOTAL

Progress Report 4: Issues to be resolved zAuditing of Usage Reports & Processes yAuditing needed yHow to implement and monitor zGateways ySeveral options yNeed to avoid double counting with publisher yEstablish protocols for collecting and supplying data

Progress Report 5 - website zwww.projectCounter.org yAbout COUNTER xproject mission & plan, history, other initiatives ySponsors ySteering Group yNews and Activities yArticles and Presentations yContact us

2003 and beyond zObjectives for 2003 yPromote and gain acceptance for the COUNTER Code of Practice yObtain feedback on Release 1 yComplete list of approved auditors yDefine and set up permanent administrative structure yFull implementation of Code of Practice by Vendors for 2004 zBeyond 2003 yExtend and deepen Code of Practice xCover e-books, etc xReporting at article level yMonitor usage and user behaviour?

Vital factors for a successful implementation and uptake zStart small, test often….develop a modest core Code and build out incrementally zBuild continuous development capability into the support structure zPool our collective wisdom and work together zOne Code - parallel codes will attract minimal buy-in

COUNTER Founding Sponsors zAAP/PSP zALPSP zARL zBlackwell Publishing zEBSCO zIngenta zInstitute of Physics Publishing zJISC z Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins z Nature Publishing Group z Oxford University Press z The Publishers Association z ProQuest z Taylor & Francis z STM z UKSG

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