Item‐level usage statistics. A review of current practices and recommendations for normalization and exchange
| Published date | 06 March 2009 |
| Date | 06 March 2009 |
| Pages | 151-162 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830910942991 |
| Author | Christine Merk,Frank Scholze,Nils Windisch |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
OTHER ARTICLE
Item-level usage statistics
A review of current practices and
recommendations for normalization and
exchange
Christine Merk
University of Konstanz, Sontheim, Germany
Frank Scholze
Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Wu
¨rttemberg, Stuttgart,
Germany, and
Nils Windisch
Go
¨ttingen University and State Library, Go
¨ttingen, Germany
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present how the JISC Usage Statistics Review Project aims
to formulate a fundamental scheme for recording usage data and to propose a standard for its
aggregation to provide meaningful and comparable item-level usage statistics for electronic
documents such as, for example, research papers and scientific resources.
Design/methodology/approach – A core element of the project has been a stakeholder workshop.
This workshop was held in Berlin, 7/8 July 2008. Representatives of key stakeholder groups
(repositories, libraries, COUNTER, IRStats, JISC, LogEc, MESUR, OA-Statistics and other Open
Access projects) were invited. During the workshop a fundamental scheme for the recording and the
exchange of log files was discussed as well as the normalization of data collected.
Findings – The following mandatory elements describing usage events were agreed during the
stakeholder workshop: Who – identification of user/session, What – item identification and type of
request performed (e.g. full-text, front-page, including failed/partially fulfilled requests), When – date
and time, usage event ID. The following elements were regarded as optional: From where –
referrer/the referring entity and identity of the service. Usage events should be exchanged in the form
of OpenURL Context Objects using OAI. Automated access (e.g. robots) should be tagged. The
definition of automated access has to be straightforward with an option of gradual refinement. Users
have to be identified unambiguously, but without recording personal data to avoid conflicts with
privacy laws. Policies on statistics should be formulated for the repository community as well as the
publishing community. Information about statistics policies should be available on services like
OpenDOAR and RoMEO.
Originality/value – The paper is based on the detailed project report to the JISC, available at http://
ie-repository.jisc.ac.uk/250/
Keywords Data analysis, Statistics, Informationexchange
Paper type Case study
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Frank Scholze is winner of the inaugural German Library Hi Tech Award (2008).
Item-level usage
statistics
151
Received 5 December 2008
Accepted 8 December 2008
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 27 No. 1, 2009
pp. 151-162
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830910942991
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