Simplifying Usage Statistics: What's Next for SUSHI

Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI) is the key to automating the harvesting of Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources (COUNTER) usage statistics. Whether librarians are aware of it or not, SUSHI is a critical standard for measuring and monitoring the use of library online collections, eliminating hours of painstaking effort that would otherwise be required to locate, retrieve, and load usage reports. However, needs are evolving and standards like SUSHI need to evolve too. In this column I will examine some of the challenges facing SUSHI and how the National Information Standards Organization SUSHI Standing Committee is proactively addressing the challenges with its effort to develop a more flexible and easier-to-implement version of SUSHI.     

An Update on COUNTER and SUSHI

Since its inception in 2002, COUNTER has given hope to many librarians charged with collecting usage data for their online collections. This hope turned to optimism in 2007 with the release of SUSHI (Standardized Usage Harvesting Initiative) as a NISO standard (Z39.93). In 2009 release 3 of the COUNTER Code of Practice for Journals and Databases takes effect and with it are some significant advances that will turn hopes and optimism into realities. This article describes the changes and their implications.     

Implementing SUSHI and COUNTER: A Primer for Librarians

Project Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources (COUNTER) released its first code of practice in 2002. Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI) was introduced in 2007 as a way of automating the harvesting of COUNTER reports. Both initiatives have been well adopted yet there is still confusion about how to implement SUSHI. This column offers a primer for library staff wanting to take advantage of the benefits of SUSHI. It starts with a quick review of both COUNTER and SUSHI, then covers options for SUSHI clients, examines SUSHI configuration requirements, demonstrates how to use SUSHI to obtain a COUNTER report and shows an example of working with a COUNTER Journal Reports in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format to create a spreadsheet with a simple cost-per-use and package analysis. By the end the reader should gain enough knowledge to configure a SUSHI client, successfully harvest COUNTER statistics and to perform some basic analysis on that usage.     

电子资源使用统计收割标准SUSHI的实施与应用研究

电子资源使用统计收割标准SUSHI是一个为自动收割COUNTER格式的使用数据而制订的数据采集与传递的标准协议,于2007年成为NISO标准。目前,图书馆和数据库商对如何使用SUSHI仍比较迷茫,并不清楚各自需要做哪些准备工作以实现利用SUSHI自动收割使用数据。2014年2月,中国高校图书馆数字资源采购联盟倡议实现组团数据库使用数据按月自动化收割与规范化管理,重新引发国内图书馆及数据库商对SUSHI的关注。为加深国内图书馆及数据库商对SUSHI的理解与认知,并推进SUSHI的应用,本文梳理国内外SUSHI的实施与应用现状,从SUSHI客户端和服务器端两个层面解析SUSHI实施与应用的具体流程与步骤,并通过剖析英国JUSP和中国DRAA电子资源使用统计模块两个联盟的应用案例,呈现SUSHI应用的具体操作细节,揭开SUSHI实施与应用的神秘面纱。意识层面、技术层面和标准层面的因素推动或阻碍了SUSHI的实施与应用,建议要基于利益相关者来推动SUSHI的实施与应用。参考文献29。     

Standards that Impact the Gathering and Analysis of Usage

This column examines several standards and best practices that impact the gathering and analysis of usage data. The role of Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources (COUNTER), Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI), and Knowledge Bases and Related Tools (KBART) are each considered from the perspective of the environment within which the librarian is operating. The column also considers how the quality and consistency of the data exchanged while using these standards contributes to a successful outcome.     

Introduction to Usus,a Community Website on Library Usage,and a Discussion about COUNTER 4

Established in 2014, Usus (Latin for usage), supported by Counting Online Usage of NeTworked Electronic Resources (COUNTER), but editorially independent, is a community-run website designed to provide a space for librarians, consortia, publishers, aggregators, repository managers, and scholars to discuss all aspects of usage, including particular ways that use is measured. In this session, Usus Supervisory Board members provided an introduction to Usus, outlined the purpose of the community-run site, and discussed how librarians may utilize the site to submit ongoing and complex usage issues. In addition, the presenters engaged attendees in discussing specific e-resource usage issues they have encountered as well as report changes and additions in the recently released COUNTER Code of Practice 4.     

COUNTER Code of Practice: A Preview of Release 4

This column provides a preview of what is being discussed for inclusion in release 4 of the Counting Online Usage of NeTworked Electronic Resources (COUNTER) code of practice. We will look at the rationale behind the proposed new reports, changes being considered for the processing guidelines and updated audit expectations.     

COUNTER: Looking Ahead to Release 5 of the COUNTER Code of Practice

Since its first Code of Practice was published in 2003, setting the first international standard for reporting usage of scholarly content, Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources (COUNTER) has been continually refining the code of practice to meet the evolving needs of its library, publisher, and vendor membership. The latest release of the Code of Practice went into effect in early 2014 and introduced several improvements over the prior releases. Work is now underway on Release 5 of the COUNTER Code of Practice with a promise that it will provide further improvements to better report on usage of scholarly information in an ever-changing discovery and access environment. This column discusses current challenges and how Release 5 might address them.     

SUSHI对电子资源规范化管理的影响

SUSHI是标准化使用统计获取协议,可促成使用统计数据格式的一致性,实现数据获取和管理过程的自动化。在推动电子资源规范化管理的宏观背景下,对SUSHI的广泛遵从对于推进图书馆联盟电子资源集团采购统计评估工作规范化,带动国内图书馆ERMS的研发和实施,促进基于电子资源生命周期管理流程的规范化,加速电子资源使用统计标准化进程具有深远影响。图书馆和数据库商应积极响应,共同促进电子资源使用统计自动获取和规范管理。     

COUNTER Release 5的新特征及其应用研究

COUNTER Release 5旨在应对不断变化的电子资源,提供可靠、一致和可对比的使用统计数据。文章分析了COUNTER Release 5的规范并探索其在中国高校图书馆数字资源采购联盟(DRAA)中的应用。研究发现,与COUNTER Release 4相比,Release 5有了明显的变化,包括定义了全新的报告体系、统计指标类型、RESTful SUSHI接口等技术细节。为在DRAA中应用COUNTER Release 5,需要从两个方面改进:一是让统计模块兼容COUNTER Release 5的数据模型,使COUNTER Release 5的统计数据可以融入现有的统计模型;二是需要新增RESTful SUSHI接口的客户端及文件解析器,让系统可以获取并解析到COUNTER Release 5的报告。     

电子资源使用统计平台USSER的设计与实现

[目的/意义] 研究应用电子资源使用统计平台有效地分析与利用COUNTER使用统计数据。[方法/过程] 通过文献综述法,研究国内外电子资源使用统计现状及COUNTER使用统计标准。以案例分析法,详细介绍深圳大学图书馆基于COUNTER使用统计数据研发的电子资源使用统计平台USSER的系统设计思路和实现,包括平台设计方案、统计数据类型、使用统计数据的收集、报表的呈现、使用统计数据分析与应用。[结果/结论] USSER可以从多个不同信息来源收集与整合COUNTER格式的报告,通过SUSHI协议自动收割统计数据,并生成各种统计报表。深入分析USSER统计报表,可帮助图书馆改善及提高电子资源服务水平。未来将从构建电子资源使用统计门户、实现全部电子资源使用统计数据的管理、进一步推进SUSHI的应用、丰富数据报表等方面完善USSER的功能。电子资源使用统计平台对于图书馆具有重要的应用价值。     

中文数字资源使用统计数据的调查研究

[目的/意义]通过调查研究,探索适合国内图书馆具有可操作性的数字资源使用统计方法,以期提高数据的准确性和可比性,支持数据资源采购、管理与服务。[方法/过程]通过问卷、访谈等方式调查了15家知名的中文数据库商,分析其数字资源使用统计的现状、问题和需求。[结果/结论]发现仅同方知网一家通过COUNTER审核,4家遵循国内相关标准;仅同方知网能提供统计平台和日志信息;但统计功能均不够完善;统计指标不规范;使用统计数据应用广泛,且普遍认为其准确、规范性对于图书馆和数据库商双方均非常重要。为规范中文数据库使用统计,建议推动中文数据库商遵循COUNTER标准,利用SUSHI统一收割使用统计数据,深化统计平台功能。     

Getting Started with COUNTER Statistics

A four hour post-conference workshop was offered on Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources (COUNTER) statistics with the goal of providing participants with hands-on experience working with and manipulating statistics. Best practices and methods were also discussed.     

COUNTER 5：关键变化及应用展望

在电子资源利用统计领域具有较大影响的COUNTER规范发布了第五版,探讨其变化、特征及应用趋势,可为图书馆优化电子资源管理提供借鉴。文章从体系结构、报告要素及实施维护等方面对规范的新旧版本进行系统对比,解读关键变化及作用;结合新规范的特性,讨论可能的创新应用场景。新规范具有清晰的体系结构和易于扩展的报告模型,实现了简单性与灵活性的统一。新规范整合了指标定义并细化用户资源访问行为的统计粒度,增强了用户行为统计的一致性。新规范的实施可支撑图书馆开展电子资源利用指标验证和用户行为分析研究,推动研究数据集等领域资源利用统计的标准化,可为我国相关标准的制定与维护提供参照。     

Envisioning the Future of ERM Systems

ABSTRACT

Electronic Resource Management (“ERM”) Systems have developed quickly-especially since the release in 2004 of the report of the Digital Library Federation's Electronic Resource Management Initiative (“ERMI”). Several ILS and other vendors have now developed systems based on the “ERMI Specifications” and sold them to some 300 libraries worldwide. While these specifications provide a firm basis for current systems, early experience points to additional needs or requirements for future development. A second phase of ERMI will address some of these needs, including professional training of librarians on “mapping” license terms to the ERMI data dictionary, collaboration with other organizations on refining standards for communicating license terms, and efforts to automate usage data gathering through a protocol called SUSHI (for “Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative.”) Additional issues or areas needing development include greater integration with Integrated Library Systems, standards for and inclusion of more detailed coverage data, integration between link resolvers and ERMs, and automation of administrative tasks.     

IRUS-UK: Improving Understanding of the Value and Impact of Institutional Repositories

Institutional repositories (IRs) are important research management tools that can give increased visibility to the institution’s scholarly outputs. Although statistics were previously available through the various repository interfaces, without an agreed standard it was not possible to measure usage across a range of IRs accurately. IRUS-UK is a national aggregation service, containing details of all content downloaded from participating IRs in the United Kingdom. Through collecting raw usage data and processing them into item-level usage statistics IRUS-UK provides comparable and authoritative standards-based data and also acts as an intermediary between UK repositories and other agencies.     

Making Sense of your Usage Statistics

Usage statistics are a key decision making tool for most librarians. In this tactics session, Bob Schufreider showed how some libraries are using their vendor's usage statistics to inform purchase decisions and justify expenses, discussed the latest technologies and standards designed to make collection and integration of these statistics less time-consuming and more effective, and outlined some of the problems and pitfalls encountered with the collection of usage statistics.     

COUNTER与电子资源的使用评估

概括介绍COUNTER的实施规范及其统计机理,详细阐述COUNTER的统计内容、统计方法、报告的交付等,并结合国家图书馆电子资源的订购情况,对不同电子资源系统的统计功能进行比较。