COUNTER Statistics
General Information
- Description
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This data comprises the individual data files that represent e-resource usage for library subscriptions.
- Purpose
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COUNTER statistics are used to assess the usage of online library materials in support of collection management decisions.
- Quick Facts
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This data is stored primarily in 3,712 Excel spreadsheet files on the staff data web server and filesystem.
It is approximately 820MB of data.
Data Classifications
- Campus
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- Internal: COUNTER statistics are used to evaluate library collections and inform collection development and budget decisions.
- Library
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- Transactional COUNTER statistics provide statistics for individual e-resource uses.
- Archival These statistics represent an archive of past collection use.
- Reporting & Analytics COUNTER statistics are used in reporting and analysis projects.
Data Contacts
- Data Owner/Trustee
- Doug Way, Associate University Librarian - Collections and Research Services doug.way@wisc.edu
- Data Steward
- Licensed Resources Unit usestats-lib@lists.wisc.edu
- Data Custodian
- Library Technology Group ltghelpdesk@library.wisc.edu
- Data Manager
- Licensed Resources Unit usestats-lib@lists.wisc.edu
- Data Architect/Modeler
- Project COUNTER
- Data Producer/Supplier
- E-Resource Vendors
- Internal Data Client
- Library Staff
- Data Subject Matter Expert
- Licensed Resources Unit usestats-lib@lists.wisc.edu
Risk Assessment
| Score | Risk Type | Details | Evaluation Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Library Impact | Library operations would continue if this data set were lost. However, we would be unable to assess prior collection use if lost. | March 1, 2019 |
| 2 | Data | Recent data could be retrieved from vendor sources, but data older than five years would be difficult or impossible to replace. | March 1, 2019 |
| 2 | Institutional Knowledge | The data is only primarily of interest to current collection development library staff. | March 1, 2019 |
Technical Details
- Specifications
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This data conforms to the specifications developed by Project COUNTER:
https://www.projectcounter.org/
This specification identifies rules for how the spreadsheet rows and columns are formatted and what labels are used for column headings.
Some custom or proprietary use data formats are also included.
- Correctness
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As this data is self-reported by vendors, they are responsible for verifying the validity of the formatting and information.
- Representative Record
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Our authoritative instance of the data is on the filesystem used by the eUsage Statistics website. This data set is managed by the General Library System's Licensed Resources Unit (LRU).
Retention Schedule: ???
- Dependencies
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Individual library staff download report files to assess the use of library materials, either e-resource platforms or individual titles.
Library Technology Group (LTG) staff have also made use of the data sets for large scale analysis of e-resources.
Access & Use
- Delivery Modalities
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Data are delivered to its consumers through the staff data website for e-usage statistics:
https://staffdata.library.wisc.edu/eUsage%20Statistics/
Most data are downloadable as Excel spreadsheets for analysis or automated parsing.
- Lifecycle
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Data is retrieved from vendor websites on an annual calendar year schedule. LRU download data files from selected vendors and post it to the staff data website.
Data is available to library staff to download from the staff data archive.
- Disposition
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Data is stored in network attached storage filesystems, which are also accessible to servers within the LTG Linux computing base infrastructure. The data is not sensitive and requires no security considerations. The filesystems are backed up on regular schedules.
- Relevant Processes
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LRU is responsible for assessing the correctness of the data.
- Constraints
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There are no regulations governing this data set.