|
University
System of |
Database Usage Statistics
Overview & Information Resources
In an effort to support the standardization of vendor database usage reports, USMAI joined Project COUNTER (Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources) which began in 2002 to coordinate the metrics used to quantify usage of electronic resources. COUNTER released a Code of Practice adopted by participating vendors that includes three database usage reports:
- Database Report 1: Total Searches and Sessions
by Month and Database
- Database Report 2: Turnaways by Month and
Database
- Database Report 3: Total Searches and Sessions
by Month and Service
To view a current list of COUNTER Compliant database vendors please see: http://www.projectcounter.org/articles.html.
In addition to Project COUNTER's work, other organizations within the libary community have responded to the need for consistent and even usage counts across e-resource vendors to support local collection management practices and the effective incorporation of these statistics into existing reporting mechanisms, such as libraries' Annual Reports. The International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) released "Guidelines for Statistical Measures of Usage of Web-Based Information Resources" in 2001 to address the specific needs of consortial database licensing groups. The Association for Research Libraries (ARL) E-Metrics: Measures for Electronic Resources initiative seeks to understand how academic libraries are collecting and utlizing usage data, in terms of analyzing expenditures in relation to use and how these libraries are accounting for the number of networked electronic resources licensed in their collections.
Tools for Retrieving Database Usage Statistics
When appropriate, USMAI campuses can choose to draw down COUNTER compliant reports from participating vendors. A good number of vendors offer "homegrown" usage reports or a choice between these reports and COUNTER reports. Generally, there are three ways to retrieve usage statistics from database vendors:
- online with a username and password or through IP
recognition
- from vendor generated reports emailed to the
institution
- from a request initiated by the institution
Below, the instructions for retrieving usage statistics lists the USMAI vendors offering online reports as well as information on how to access vendor generated and institution initated reports. Please note that while many vendors do offer comprehensive usage reports of all their databases, others may have separate online reports for each database. In addition, vendors may only offer total usage counts for all consortial participants as opposed to usage counts for each participating institution.
Please contact dbstats@itd.umd.edu for assistance with usernames and passwords, accessing online reports, and setting up vendor generated and institution initiated reports.
Instructions for
Retrieving Database Usage Statistics 
[Excel
Spreadsheet]
MetaLib Usage Statistics
Report 1: MetaLib Search Statistics - Database searches that are performed in the MetaLib interface. Search counts include "Quick Search" and "Cross Search" searches. Report contains search counts per database for a specified time period.
FY2008:BC | BL | BS | CE | CP | CS | ES | FS | HS | ML | MS | SM | SU | TU | UB | UC | [Excel Spreadsheets]
FY2007:BC | BL | BS | CE | CP | CS | ES | FS | HS | ML | MS | SM | SU | TU | UB | UC | USMAI [Excel Spreadsheets]
Report 2: QuickSet Search Statistics - Database searches done in Quick Search per Quick Search Set for a specified time period.
BC | BL | BS | CE | CP | CS | ES | FS | HS | ML | MS | SM | SU | TU | UB | UC | USMAI [Excel Spreadsheets]
=
password protected
|
USMAI
| ITD | Metalib/sfx | Aleph |
|
|
© 2005 University System of |