sushi a beginner’s guide to niso’s standardized usage statistics harvesting initiative breakout...

SUSHIA beginner’s guide to NISO’s Standardized Usage

Statistics Harvesting Initiative

Breakout Sessions: Group BUKSG Conference and Exhibition

TorquayApril 7-9, 2008

Oliver PeschEBSCO Information Services

[email protected]

Overview

• Background on usage statistics

- Why librarians collect them

- Timeline of standards

- Progression of improvements

• COUNTER

• SUSHI

- What it is

- How it works

• SUSHI and COUNTER: why they are important

- To libraries

- To publishers

Why do librarians collect usage statistics?

• Because they must

- Government and funding bodies may require them

- E.g. ARL statistics

• To inform renewal decisions

- Overall use

- Cost-per-use

• Support cancellation decisions

• Generally manage e-resources and the tools and programs that support them

Overview





• COUNTER

• SUSHI

- What it is

- How it works


- To libraries

- To publishers

Timeline for usage related standards efforts


…..…Online collections and their use grows Online collections and their use grows


ICOLC Guidelines for Usage DataICOLC Guidelines for Usage Data


ICOLC Guidelines: Release 2ICOLC Guidelines: Release 2


Project COUNTER formedProject COUNTER formed


COUNTER Code of Practice Release 1COUNTER Code of Practice Release 1


ERMI committee formedERMI committee formed


First commercial ERM releasedFirst commercial ERM released


ERM Usage Consolidation ModuleERM Usage Consolidation Module


SUSHI committee formedSUSHI committee formed


COUNTER Code of Practice release 2COUNTER Code of Practice release 2


SUSHI released as draft standardSUSHI released as draft standard

Timeline

SUSHI certified by ANSI as Z39.93SUSHI certified by ANSI as Z39.93

Overview





• COUNTER

• SUSHI

- What it is

- How it works


- To libraries

- To publishers

Usage Statistics

• Usage data importance grows with e-collections- Collection management- Budget management

Usage Statistics


• Credibility and consistency…- Different vendors using different terminology- Inconsistencies in processing lead to over counting- Formatting differences make comparison challenging

Usage Statistics


• Credibility and consistency…- Different vendors using different terminology- Inconsistencies in processing lead to over counting- Formatting differences make comparison challenging

…COUNTER…

Usage Statistics


• Credibility and consistency…- Different vendors using different terminology- Inconsistencies in processing lead to over counting- Formatting difference comparison challenging

• Consolidation and meaningful reporting…- Many vendors and reports to process- Collection-level views needed

…COUNTER…

Usage Statistics



• Consolidation and meaningful reporting- Many vendors and reports to process- Collection-level views needed

…COUNTER…

…Usage Consolidation tools (ERM)…

Usage Statistics




• Retrieving and processing…- Obtaining reports is time consuming- Formatting and other adjustments still needed

…COUNTER…


Usage Statistics




• Retrieving and processing…- Obtaining reports is time consuming- Formatting and other adjustments still needed

…COUNTER…


…SUSHI…

Overview





• COUNTER

• SUSHI

- What it is

- How it works


- To libraries

- To publishers

• Goals

• Codes of practice

• Audit

• Coming in release 3

http://www.projectcounter.org/

Why COUNTER?

• Goal: credible, compatible, consistent publisher/vendor-generated statistics for the global information community

• Libraries and consortia need online usage statistics- To assess the value of different online products/services

- To support collection development

- 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

COUNTER Codes of Practice

• Definitions of terms used

• Specifications for Usage Reports

- What they should include

- What they should look like

- How and when they should be delivered

• Data processing guidelines

• Auditing

• Compliance

COUNTER: current Codes of Practice

1) Journals and databases- Release 1 Code of Practice launched January 2003

- Release 2 published April 2005 replacing Release 1 in January 2006

- Now a widely adopted standard by publishers and librarians

- Almost 100 vendors now compliant

- 10,000+ journals now covered

- Librarians use it in collection development decisions

- Publishers use it in marketing to prove ‘value’

Journal and Database Code of Practice: Reports

• Journal Report 1

Full text article requests by month and journal• Journal Report 2

Turnaways by month and journal• Database Report 1

Total searches and sessions by month and database

• Database Report 2

Turnaways by month and database• Database Report 3

Searches and sessions by month and service

COUNTER: current Codes of Practice

2) Books and reference works- Release 1 Code of Practice launched March 2006

- 10 vendors now compliant

- Relevant usage metrics less clear than for journals

- Different issues than for journals

• Direct comparisons between books less relevant

• Understanding how different categories of book are used is more relevant

Books and Reference Works: Reports

• Book Report 1

Number of successful requests by month and title• Book Report 2

Number of successful section requests by month and title• Book Report 3

Turnaways by month and title• Book Report 4

Turnaways by month and service• Book Report 5

Total searches and sessions by month and title• Book Report 6

Total searches and sessions by month and service

Specific Formats

Explicit report layout – “consistent”

Credibility: COUNTER Audit

• Independent audit required within 18 months of compliance, and annually thereafter

• Audit is online, using scripts provided in the Code of Practice

• Auditor can be:- Any Chartered Accountant

- Another COUNTER-approved auditor

• ABCE is the first COUNTER-approved auditor- Industry-owned

- Not-for-profit

- Independent and impartial

- Part of ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations)

- Providing website traffic audits for over 150 companies and certifying over 1400 domains

- Have successfully completed test audits on COUNTER usage reports

Coming soon…Release 3 of the Journals and Databases Code of Practice

Key features…• Consortium reports

• Sets expectations for handling of:

- Federated searching

- Internet robots and archives like LOCKSS

- Browser prefetching

• Reports must be available in XML format

• Revised COUNTER XML Schema

• SUSHI support becomes a requirement for compliance

Overview





• COUNTER

• SUSHI

- What it is

- How it works


- To libraries

- To publishers

SUSHI: Objectives

• COUNTER statistics provides an excellent model and rules for usage statistics counting

• Libraries needed:

- A more efficient data exchange model

• Current model is file-by-file spreadsheet download

• Background query and response model is more efficient and scalable

SUSHI: What it is and Isn’t

• What it is:

- A web-services model for requesting data

• Replaces the user’s need to download files from vendor’s website

- A request for data where the response includes COUNTER data

• Using COUNTER’s schema

• What it isn’t:

- A model for counting usage statistics

- A usage consolidation application

SUSHI: COUNTER Reports

Usage Reports• Journal Report 1

- Full text article requests by month and journal

• Journal Report 2- Turnaways by month and journal

• Database Report 1- Total searches and sessions by month and database

• Database Report 2- Turnaways by month and database

• Database Report 3- Searches and sessions by month and service

Web Services: the chosen approach for SUSHI

• Web services combine the best aspects of component-based development and the Web.

• Commercially accepted

• Widely supported (W3C)

• Secure

… but first some definitions

Definitions

XML Schema (XSD) A language for describing the structure and constraining the contents of XML documents.

(reactivity.com glossary)

Definitions

Web Services

Open, standard (XML, SOAP, etc.) based Web applications that interact with other web applications for the purpose of exchanging data.

(lucent.com)

Definitions

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)

SOAP is a lightweight XML based protocol used for invoking web services and exchanging structured data and type information on the Web.

(oracle.com)

Definitions

Web Services Description Language

(WSDL) is an XML format published for describing Web services.

(wikipedia.org)

Web Services: An example

• System A provides online information about companies.

• System B provides real-time stock quotations.

• Using Web Services, System A can integrate real-time stock quotes into the company information they provide.

System BSystem A

Real TimeStock Quotes(web service)

OnlineCompany

Data

Internet

System A sends the stock symbol to System B.System A sends the stock symbol to System B.

Stock symbol

System BSystem A

Real TimeStock Quotes (web service)

OnlineCompany

Data

Internet

System B returns the quote. All of this happens in milliseconds.System B returns the quote. All of this happens in milliseconds.

Stock symbol

Stock quote

System BSystem A

Real TimeStock Quotes

OnlineCompany

Data

Internet

“Messages” are formatted in XML, and the protocol used to communicate is SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).

“Messages” are formatted in XML, and the protocol used to communicate is SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).

Stock symbol

Stock quote

SOAPSOAPSOAPSOAP

SUSHI : The Exchange

Report Request

<Requester>

<Customer Reference>

<Report Definition>

Report Response<Requester>

<Customer Reference>

<Report Definition>

<Report as payload>

SUSHI: Architecture

• The next series of slides graphically show a SUSHI transaction

- Library’s ERM system requests a usage report

- SUSHI client makes the request

- SUSHI server processes request

- SUSHI server prepares COUNTER report

- SUSHI server “packages” and returns response

- SUSHI client processes COUNTER report

Content ProviderLibrary

Internet

The Library’s ERM and Content Provider’s systems are both connected to the internet.

The Library’s ERM and Content Provider’s systems are both connected to the internet.


SUSHIClient

Internet

The SUSHI client is software that runs on the library’s server, usually associated with an ERM system.

The SUSHI client is software that runs on the library’s server, usually associated with an ERM system.

ERM


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Internet

ERM

The SUSHI server is software that runs on the Content Provider’s server, and has access to the usage data.

The SUSHI server is software that runs on the Content Provider’s server, and has access to the usage data.


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Request

Internet

ERM

When the ERM system wants a COUNTER report, it sends a request to the SUSHI client, which prepares the request.

When the ERM system wants a COUNTER report, it sends a request to the SUSHI client, which prepares the request.

?


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Request

Internet

ERM

The SUSHI request is sent to the Content Provider. The request specifies the report and the library the report is for.

The SUSHI request is sent to the Content Provider. The request specifies the report and the library the report is for.

?Request


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Internet

ERM

The SUSHI server reads the request then processes the usage data.

The SUSHI server reads the request then processes the usage data.

?Request


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Internet

ERM

The SUSHI server creates the requested COUNTER report in XML format.

The SUSHI server creates the requested COUNTER report in XML format.

?

COUNTER


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Internet

ERM

A response message is prepared according to the SUSHI XML schema.

A response message is prepared according to the SUSHI XML schema.

?

COUNTER

Response


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Internet

ERM

The COUNTER report (XML) is added to the Response as its payload. The response is sent to the client.

The COUNTER report (XML) is added to the Response as its payload. The response is sent to the client.

?Response

COUNTER


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Internet

ERM

The SUSHI client processes the response and extracts the COUNTER report.

The SUSHI client processes the response and extracts the COUNTER report.

?Response

COUNTER


SUSHIServer

(web service)

UsageData

SUSHIClient

Internet

ERM

The extracted COUNTER report is passed to the ERM system for further processing.

The extracted COUNTER report is passed to the ERM system for further processing.

COUNTER

Overview





• COUNTER

• SUSHI

- What it is

- How it works


- To libraries

- To publishers

Why COUNTER and SUSHI are important

• For libraries and publishers

- Usage statistics are being used to inform decisions

- They need to be consistent, credible and comparable

- And, easy to obtain

SUSHI

More thoughts on usage statistics

• Usage statistics…

- should enlighten rather than obscure

- should be practical

- are only part of the story

- should be used in context

- should be reliable

COUNTER and SUSHI

Questions and answers

SUSHI

• Rapid adoption of SUSHI due to it being a COUNTER compliance requirement

• New COUNTER schema will allow all COUNTER reports to be delivered through SUSHI using one schema

• Additional reports will help consortia

What effect will release 3 of the COUNTER Code of Practice have on SUSHI?

What effect will release 3 of the COUNTER Code of Practice have on SUSHI?

SUSHI

• Almost 100 vendor/products are compliant with Journals and Databases COP

• 10 vendors are compliant with Books and Reference Works

• See… http://www.projectcounter.org/compliantvendors.html

How many vendors are compliant with COUNTER codes of practice?

How many vendors are compliant with COUNTER codes of practice?

SUSHI

• NISO web site for SUSHI:

http://www.niso.org/ (Select “Standards” and search for Z39.93)

• SUSHI Schemas:

http://www.niso.org/schemas/sushi

Where do I find the standard and more information about it?

Where do I find the standard and more information about it?

SUSHI

• Toolkits for .NET (courtesy EBSCO) and JAVA (courtesy Swets) available on the NISO web site

• Recorded Webinars on the NISO web site

• Developer email list

- Contact either Oliver Pesch [[email protected]] or Adam Chandler [[email protected]] to be added

What help is there for developers?What help is there for developers?

SUSHI

• If data COUNTER data is available, and

• developers are familiar with implementing web services in .NET or JAVA; then,

• the project is relatively small (weeks not months)

How big a project is it to create a SUSHI Server?

How big a project is it to create a SUSHI Server?

Thank you!

Oliver Pesch

[email protected]

sushi a beginner’s guide to niso’s standardized usage statistics harvesting initiative breakout...

Documents

usage data slide

timeline of standards

timeline sushi

draft standard slide

comparison challenging

arl statistics

overview background

support cancellation