COUNTER Newsletter, September 2024

The COUNTdown to Release 5.1 has begun (with no apologies for the terrible pun). R5.1 replaces R5 for usage reports in just three months, and I’ve been working closely with publishers, auditors, report harvesters and librarians in their efforts to be ready for the new reports. A key piece of that puzzle is the updated COUNTER Validation Tool, which you can read about below. If you need any help with your preparations for R5.1, drop me a line at tasha@countermetrics.org.

Having said that, the knowledge community has its rhythms and September means conference season. I was at the Make Data Count Summit last week, am at ALPSP this week, and will be at OASPA next week. I’m pretty sure my mailbox is stacking up, so it may take me a while to get to your message!

On the subject of communication, this newsletter is a good way to keep up to date with COUNTER – particularly as we’re leaving X (formerly known as Twitter). For more frequent news updates, find and follow us on LinkedIn, BlueSky or on countermetrics.org/news.

New Validation Tool

We are extremely pleased to announce that the COUNTER Validation Tool has been updated to support Release 5.1 of the Code of Practice, with enormous thanks to the wonderful Bernd Oberknapp. The new Validation Tool is free to use, though you will need to register for an account. Read More

Join a COUNTER focus group

We are starting focus groups to gather the views of the COUNTER community on key topics. Our first groups will look at reporting to multiple identities, and how to report on generative AI usage. Please sign up and help shape COUNTER’s future. Read More

Video: Introduction to COUNTER audits

The questions we most commonly receive are about doing COUNTER audits. At the COUNTER conference earlier this year we asked Kathryn Hodgkinson and Andy Flint of Audit Bureau of Circulations Ltd to explain how audits work. Read More

Become a sponsor of COUNTER

We have exciting plans to enhance COUNTER further over the coming years but we need your help! Please contact Tasha to become a sponsor and learn about other ways to support COUNTER. Help us continue to ensure usage metrics are credible, consistent and comparable. For more about our current funders and partners, take a look at our new Sponsors and Partners page. Read More

COUNTER is leaving X

From the end of September COUNTER is leaving X (formerly known as Twitter). The nature of the platform, particularly its propagation of misinformation, no longer aligns with the values of COUNTER or the wider community we work in.

We will keep our X account live but we will no longer post there. Find and follow us on LinkedIn and BlueSky to keep up to date with the latest COUNTER news. And don’t forget that you can sign up to our newsletter and contact the COUNTER team directly. Read More