1. The COUNTER Code of Practice -Release 1 Released January 14, 2003 www.projectcounter.org

2. Background Libraries need online usage statistics To assess the value of different online products/services To make better-informed purchasing decisions To plan infrastructure Publishers need online usage statistics To experiment with new pricing models To assess the relative importance of the different channels by which information reaches the market To provide editorial support To plan infrastructure Academic and professional publishing is global and needs a global standard for its online usage statistics

3. Online usage statistics need to be…… Credible Compatible Consistent

4. COUNTER: objective To develop a single, international, extendible Code of Practice that allows the usage of online information to be measured in a credible, consistent and compatible way using vendor-generated data.

5. COUNTER: strategy Respond to the requirements of the international librarian, publisher and intermediary communities An open, inclusive and interactive process Representation of all three communities on COUNTER Limit scope of Release 1 to journals and databases Systematically extend scope of the Code of Practice Horizontally, to cover other content types, such as e-books Vertically, to provide, e.g., statistics for individual articles A cost effective-process for all parties involved Only one valid version of the Code of Practice at any time

6. The COUNTER Code of Practice -Release 1:main features Definitions of terms used Specifications for Usage Reports Data processing guidelines Auditing Compliance Maintenance and development of the Code of Practice Governance of COUNTER

7. Definitions of terms used Data elements to be collected Page views Bibliographic data Page type Source of page Authentication of user Access rights Session data Market elements

8. Specifications for Usage Reports Content Level 1 Journal Report 1: Number of Successful Full-Text Article Requests by Month and Journal Journal Report 2: Turnaways by Month and Journal Database Report 1: Total Searches & Sessions by Month & Database Database Report 2: Turnaways by Month & Database Database Report 3: Total Searches & Sessions by Month & Service Level 2 Journal Report 3: Number of Successful item Requests and Turnaways by Month, Journal & Page Type Journal Report 4: Total Searches Run by Month & Service Format Delivery

9. Data processing guidelines Only “intended” usage is covered Impractical to describe all possible filters for all possible ways of generating “intended” usage records COP specifies the criteria to be met by the data used in building the Usage Reports Only successful requests will be counted Items generated by the server together with the requested pages should be ignored (e.g images within a page) Repeated clicks within 10 seconds on an http-link should be counted as only one request (30 seconds for PDF)

10. Auditing Auditing will be required from 2004 Auditing processes are under development A list of COUNTER-approved auditors will be made available

11. Compliance More than one compliance level Level 1: basic set of journal and database reports Level 2: more detailed reports Licence Agreements Standard clause offered, covering COUNTER compliance Declaration of COUNTER compliance For 2003 Vendors sign declaration and demonstrate to COUNTER that they can provide at least Level 1 Usage Reports Register of COUNTER-compliant vendors To be maintained on the COUNTER website

12. Maintenance and development of the Code of Practice Full text of the Code of Practice is freely available on the COUNTER website Code of Practice will be systematically extended Feedback on Release 1 is actively sought Via test sites involving publishers and libraries Via feedback to COUNTER via the website, International Advisory Board, presentations at meetings, etc.

13. Governance of COUNTER Executive Committee Chaired by Richard Gedye (OUP) International Advisory Board 30+ members Technical Advisory Group Marketing Committee Project Director Peter Shepherd

14. 2003 and beyond Objectives for 2003 Promote and gain acceptance for the Code of Practice Obtain feedback on Release 1 Complete list of approved auditors Define and set up a permanent administrative structure Full implementation by vendors for 2004 subscription year Beyond 2003 Extend and deepen Code of Practice Cover e-books, etc Journal reporting at article level

15. COUNTER Founding Sponsors AAP/PSP ALPSP ARL ASA Blackwell Publishing EBSCO Elsevier Science Ingenta IOPP Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Nature Publishing Group Oxford University Press The Publishers Association ProQuest Taylor & Francis Group STM UKSG

16. For more information………. www.projectCounter.org