New usage reports, new insights! How to use your COUNTER data in decision making processes

Abstract

Librarians have been receiving COUNTER Release 5 reports since February 2019 and are becoming familiar with the new robust usage data. In this paper three experts explain how the new usage reports provide greater clarity and how they give insight into users’ actions. Athena Hoeppner outlines the new reports and metrics and explains how to interpret book usage data and how to use the data effectively in decision making process. Sonja Lendi focuses on journal usage data and the differences between Release 4 and Release 5 of the COUNTER Code of Practice. She also explains Distributed Usage Logging (DUL). This protocol enables publishers to capture traditional usage activity related to their content that happens on sites other than their own so they can provide reports of “total usage” regardless of where that usage happens. Kornelia Junge explains how librarians can use Microsoft Excel to analyse usage.