Choosing the right COUNTER metric
18 November 2024One of the most common questions people ask us is which metric libraries should be using to assess return on investment. As it says in our FAQs, that depends on what you’re trying to measure!
We recommend using Unique_Item_Requests for calculating cost per use. This holds true for the vast majority of COUNTER Data_Types (journal articles, datasets, patents, multimedia items in full-content databases, etc.). There are some exceptions to the rule:
- For abstracting and indexing services (which appear in the Registry with Host_Type A&I_Database), libraries should use Unique_Item_Investigations.
- For databases generally, search metrics are great for identifying whether libraries’ users are exploring the content that’s available to them.
- And of course, denials can be a helpful indication of where there may be gaps in collections.
- Some libraries prefer to use Unique_Title_Requests for calculating cost per use for books.
All of these choices are absolutely valid. However, you should use the same metric consistently for each Data_Type across different publisher platforms and over time.
A note on books and reference works
Most content (database records, journal articles, etc.) is delivered at the level of the individual item. This makes Unique_Item_Requests the most valid comparison. Books and reference works are different: some publisher platforms offer chapter-by-chapter (item) access, while others focus on whole-book (title) access. To compare usage of books across different publisher platforms, therefore, libraries may prefer to use Unique_Title_Requests instead of Unique_Item_Requests for assessing book usage.