Integrating COUNTER Statistics within the
Information Workflow
Oliver Pesch
Chief Product Strategist
EBSCO Information Services
Gathering usage is just the first
step…
and usage is just one piece of
the puzzle.
Effective collection analysis involves
combining usage with other data for a
more complete picture
and presenting that information in a
meaningful context.
Examples of usage in the workflow
(presenting usage in context)
Subscription renewals
Subscription renewals
Subscription renewals
Instant access to cost-
per-use and holdings
data streamlines the
renewal process.
Individual Titles
Individual Titles
Detailed analysis,
holdings and usage
available for individual
orders.
Publisher packages
Publisher packagesPackage-level totals
presented
Publisher packages
Quick charts to see the
“health” of the package.
Publisher Packages
Publisher Packages
Usage and cost-per-use
in package details
facilitates decisions on
“swaps” and “drops”.
Usage vs other metrics
Usage: The Key Metric
% of librarians indicating a metric as very important when making content decisions
Source: EBSCO, 2012; EBSCO Library Collection and Budgeting Trends Survey, 2012
We asked librarians how they use
usage statistics:
98% for cancellation and/or renewal
decisions
72% for journal package negotiations
Source: EBSCO, 2012; EBSCO Library Collection and Budgeting Trends Survey,
2012
Why Usage Statistics Are Important
Including other metric types
Including other metric types
This library has included
Impact Factor and
Eigenfactor scores.
Decisions and challenges related to usage
and collection analysis
Usage from all platforms vs publisher platform
Usage from all platforms vs publisher platform
This reports provides
analysis for the
publisher platform and
all platforms.
Is this an important title
for this library’s users?
Subscriptions to “Combinations”
We have a single order
that is for two titles.
Subscriptions to “Combinations”
The order is mapped to
both titles in holdings
Subscriptions to “Combinations”
Usage for this “order”
accumulates usage
from both titles so cost-
per-use is meaningful.
Mapping the data and analyzing
packages…
Putting it all together: the basics
The goalA report showing subscribed
titles with their cost, use and
cost-per-use.
Putting it all together: the basicsUsage Cost
Putting it all together: the basicsUsage Cost
How do you
connect usage
to cost? ISSN?
Putting it all together: the basicsUsage Cost
How do you
connect usage
to cost? ISSN?
Challenges with ISSN
matching- Wrong or missing ISSN
- Same ISSN on multiple rows
in COUNTER reports
- Same ISSN on multiple
reports
- Combinations have one cost
item but multiple usage entries
- Titles change publishers
(ISSN changes)
- Publishers change platforms
Putting it all together: packagesUsage Cost
The goalCreate a package analysis
with package-level summary.
Putting it all together: packagesUsage Cost
How do you
know what is
included in the
package?
Challenges
Analyzing the package as a
unit means accumulating
cost and usage for the entire
package.
COUNTER statistics are
reported at the “Platform”
level so the package content
is not defined in the report.
Putting it all together: packagesUsage Cost
How do you
know what is
included in the
package?Solution
Incorporate detailed
holdings and/or package
definition into the analysis.
Holdings
Putting it all together: other dataUsage CostHoldings Other
The goalAdd impact factors and other
key-decision data to the
report.
Putting it all together: other dataUsage Cost
How do you
connect the other
data? ISSN?
Holdings Other
Putting it all together: other dataUsage Cost
How do you
connect the other
data? ISSN?
Holdings Other
Inclusion of impact
factors, faculty
recommendations, do-
not-cancel information
has similar mapping
challenges.
Putting it all togetherUsage CostHoldings Other
The goalMake this process
repeatable and as simple as
possible.
Putting it all togetherUsage CostHoldings Other
What technology can
do all this?
Putting it all togetherUsage CostHoldings Other
What technology can
do all this?
Some options
• Excel
• MS Access or similar
• Commercial products
with central knowledge
base to handle the
mappings.
Summary
• Usage is a means to an end
• Usage needs to be combined with other data to be truly
effective
• Providing usage and related metrics within the workflow
can improve efficiency and quality of decision making
• The act of “combining” usage and other data has several
challenges
• Close sometimes has to be good enough
• Knowledge base centric applications will help with the
mapping
Thank you