Appendix E: Audit Requirements and Tests

Appendix E

Download Appendix E

Audit Requirements and Tests

Table of Contents

1. General Audit Requirements

• Third party hosts and vendors
• Auditing and test scripts
  • Frequency of the audit
  • COUNTER Usage Reports for which an independent audit is required
  • General conditions for carrying out an audit test

2. The Required Audit Outputs
3. The Required Audit Tests

• Stage 1 – Report Format
• Stage 2 – Data Integrity
  • Platform Reports
    1. Master: PR
    2. Standard View: PR_P1
  • Database Reports
    1. Master: DR
    2. Standard View: DR_D1
    3. Standard View: DR_D2
  • Title Reports
    1. Master: TR
    2. Standard View: TR_B1
    3. Standard View: TR_B2
    4. Standard View: TR_B3
    5. Standard View: TR_J1
    6. Standard View: TR_J2
    7. Standard View: TR_J3
    8. Standard View: TR_J4
  • Item Reports
    1. Master: IR
    2. Standard View: IR_A1
    3. Standard View: IR_M1
  • Stage 3 – Report Delivery

1. General Auditing Requirements

Audit Philosophy

The COUNTER audit procedures and tests set out in this Appendix seek to ensure that the usage reports provided by content providers are in line with the COUNTER Code of Practice and follow uniform agreed procedures. To this end, the COUNTER audit seeks to mirror the activity of an institution (a customer) carrying out usage on the content provider’s platform.

Third Party Hosts and Vendors

Two broad categories must be taken into account for usage statistics reporting, and each has additional audit requirements. These categories are:

• Third-party hosts: Some publishers have their online content hosted by a third party that provides standard usage statistics reporting as part of a broader hosting service. In these cases, it is the third-party host that is audited. For the audit the third-party host must provide the auditor with a list of all publishers hosted by them and the COUNTER Reports and Standard Views offered by each. The auditor will then select a minimum of two publishers at random from the list and carry out the audit tests as specified below on the selected publishers.
• Third-party vendors: Some publishers use third-party companies that provide bespoke usage-statistics reporting services, where the solutions used may differ significantly for each client publisher. In this case the third-party vendor See also “Content Provider”. A publisher An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information online and/or in printed formor other online information provider who delivers licensed content to the customer An individual or organization that can access a specified range of the “Content provider’s” services and/or content and is subject to terms and conditions agreed with the “Content provider”and with whom the customer An individual or organization that can access a specified range of the “Content provider’s” services and/or content and is subject to terms and conditions agreed with the “Content provider”has a contractual relationship.must provide the auditor with a list of all their client publishers and the COUNTER Reports and Standard Views offered by each. The auditor will then select 10% of the publishers (up to a maximum of 5, with a minimum of 2) from this list and carry out the audit tests specified below.

No two third-party hosts/vendors are exactly alike. Prior to the audit each must discuss with COUNTER how they provide usage statistics reporting so that COUNTER can advise which of the two categories above applies to them.

Auditing and Test-Scripts

There are three stages in the COUNTER audit:

• Stage 1: Format. Here the auditor reviews usage reports to confirm that they adhere to the COUNTER Code of Practice specification, not only in terms of overall format, but to make sure relevant identifiers, such as ISSNs and ISBNs, are presented correctly. Deviations from the specified COUNTER-compliant format, such as blank rows not required by the code specification or incorrectly formatted ISSNs, can cause problems when the COUNTER usage reports are processed automatically.
• Stage 2: Data Integrity. Here the auditor confirms that the usage statistics reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.accurately record the activity carried out by the auditor during the audit. This includes checking that the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.provides consistent usage statistics when its reports are accessed using different browsers, including Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox as a minimum. Note: COUNTER will review the selected browsers annually. The selection may change in the future, depending on which browsers are most widely used.
• Stage 3: Report Delivery. Here the auditor tests that the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.has implemented SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.correctly and that its reports can be accessed using SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.according to the instructions supplied by the content provider (which must comply with the NISO/COUNTER SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.standard). Implementation of SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.is a requirement for compliance and is covered by the Declaration of COUNTER Compliance signed by all compliant content providers. Delivery of reports via Excel or .tab separated value (TSV) file will still be required as specified in the COUNTER Code of Practice.

COUNTER defines specific audit test-scripts for each of the COUNTER-required usage reports. Because content providers may work with different auditors, the test-scripts help to ensure that each auditor follows a common auditing procedure.

The COUNTER auditor cannot express an opinion as to usage reported in respect of any other accounts or institutions, or as to aspects of the COUNTER Code of Practice, not specifically tested. Release 5-compliant content providers are reminded, however, that their signed Declaration of COUNTER compliance also covers these aspects of the COUNTER Code of Practice.

a. Frequency of the Audit

To maintain COUNTER-compliant status an independent audit is required within 6 months of a content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.being listed in the Register of COUNTER Compliant Content Providers and annually thereafter. (Excepted are content providers that are members of COUNTER in the Smaller Publisher An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information online and/or in printed formcategory, which may be audited biennially, with permission from COUNTER). Failure to meet these audit requirements will result in a content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.losing its COUNTER-compliant status.

If COUNTER does not receive a satisfactory auditor’s report within the specified time, the following control procedures apply:

New content providers having signed the Declaration of Compliance:

Content providers previously audited:

b. COUNTER Usage Reports for which an Independent Audit is Required

Independent audits are required for COUNTER reports according to host type(s). See Table 1 (below).

Table 1: COUNTER Reports Requiring Audit

c. General Conditions for Carrying out an Audit Test

COUNTER defines a reporting period The total time period covered in a usage report.as a calendar month. A report run for any given month MUST reflect all activity of a customer An individual or organization that can access a specified range of the “Content provider’s” services and/or content and is subject to terms and conditions agreed with the “Content provider”for the entire month in question.

This applies also to auditing activity. An auditor should always finalize the audit tests within one and the same calendar month. During the audit period, all activity on the audit accounts not instigated by the auditor should be prevented, as this will make the test reports unreliable and may result in further audit tests that may incur additional costs.

To prevent any collision of reported data, an auditor should be allowed to set up and maintain separate accounts for each of the audit tests. All accounts should be set up in such a way that only the auditor carrying out a test can access the content provider’s platform.

Prior to the audit, the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.must supply to the auditor:

1. Account details for at least 4 separate accounts with access to all areas required to be tested (or specific restrictions for turn-away testing).
2. Links to download usage reports in all required formats. COUNTER usage reports must be provided as tabular versions, which can be easily imported into Microsoft Excel pivot tables.
3. SUSHI credentials for the test accounts to enable verification of SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.harvesting and formatting of the harvested reports.
4. A declaration that federated and automated searches have been disaggregated from any searches reported. See the COUNTER Code of Practice for further information on the protocols that apply to federated and automated searches.
5. If server-side caching is implemented, information on cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings used should be provided. Note: Server-side caching can cause a discrepancy between the usage recorded in the audit tests and the usage reported by the content provider. Information on cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings enables the auditor to take them into account when evaluating the results of the report tests. If the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not provide this information, the auditor is likely to require further audit tests that may incur additional costs.

2. The Required Audit Outputs

If the auditor identifies one or more issues, the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.MUST resolve them and pass the audit within 3 months to maintain COUNTER-compliant status. Please see section 9.2 in the COUNTER Code of Practice.

The auditor will provide to the COUNTER Executive Committee a summary report including, as a minimum, the following information:

1. The name of the content provider
2. The audit period and date
3. The usage report(s) tested
4. For each usage report tested, the test results, indicated as a % of the reported figures over the expected
5. A summary of any material issues noted with the format/structure, data integrity, and/or delivery of the content provider’s reports. If there are no issues, a PASS should be noted.
6. A clear indication of the outcome of the audit: PASS, QUALIFIED PASS, or FAIL.
7. Any other comments that relate to the audit and are worthy of consideration by the COUNTER Executive Committee.

Sample Audit Report:

A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.may need to submit multiple audit reports, some of which may PASS and some of which may FAIL. The results of each report’s tests should be submitted on a separate line. For a content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.to maintain COUNTER-compliant status, each audited report must PASS.

3. The Required Audit Tests

Stage 1. Report Format: Checking the report layout and file-format against the COUNTER Code of Practice

The auditor will confirm that each of the audit reports complies with the COUNTER Code of Practice.

The following items will be checked:

• The layout of the report (headers/footers, number of fields, field sequence, totals field, and format of reported numbers)
• The conformity of identifiers to the required standard (e.g. ISSNs must be provided as nine digits, with a hyphen as the middle digit)
• The presence of all required file formats (a Microsoft Excel file, a tab-separated value (TSV) file, or a file that can be easily imported into Microsoft Excel)
• That email alerts are set to report usage reports updated in a timely manner
• Flexibility in the reporting period The total time period covered in a usage report.so customers can specify the start and end months of data reported in the COUNTER reports
• That COUNTER usage reports are available in JSON format in accordance with the COUNTER JSON schema specified by SUSHI. (Schema may be found on the NISO/SUSHI website at: http://www.niso.org/schemas/sushi/)
• That COUNTER schema covers all the COUNTER usage reports.
• That the JSON formatted report produced via SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.matches the total of the relevant usage counted on the equivalent .tsv/Excel report offered by the content provider, i.e. A report should produce the same results irrespective of the format in which it is delivere

Stage 2. Data Integrity: Checking the usage numbers as reported

The audit-test must be conducted in such a way that the auditor’s activities during the audit-test can be isolated from other activities on the content provider’s site. Depending on the site being tested, the auditor must conduct the audit-test from a computer with a unique IP address Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer on which the session is conducted and may be used by content providers as a means of authentication and authorization and for identifying the institution a user is affiliated with. The identifying network address (typically four 8-bit numbers, aaa.bbb.cc.dd) of the user's computer or proxy.and/or using a unique account number.

The auditor must accept user/machine and session A successful “Request” of an online service. It starts when a user connects to the service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)or “Database” and ends by terminating activity that is either explicit (by leaving the service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)through exit or logout) or implicit (timeout due to user inactivity). (NISO)cookies when prompted.

Platform Reports

Master Report: PR

The Platform An interface from a “Content Provider” that delivers the content to the user A person who accesses the online resourceand that counts and provides the COUNTER usage reports.Master Report will be COUNTER-compliant if the following Standard View passes the COUNTER Audit and the figures reported within it are matching what is reported in the Master Report.

Standard View: PR_P1

Platform Usage: A Standard View of the Platform An interface from a “Content Provider” that delivers the content to the user A person who accesses the online resourceand that counts and provides the COUNTER usage reports.Master Report offering platform-level usage summarized by “Metric_Type”.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. The auditor must have access to all databases as made available on the platform An interface from a “Content Provider” that delivers the content to the user A person who accesses the online resourceand that counts and provides the COUNTER usage reports.of the content provider.

2. Audit-test P1-1: “Searches_Platform”

• Option 1: Platform has multiple databases, and it is possible to search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.over all databases, selected subset of databases, or a single database.
  The auditor must run 100 searches on the platform, including 50 searches against only 1 selected database, 25 against 2 selected databases, and 25 against all databases. Each of these searches must report 1 “Searches_Platform” in the PR_P1 Standard View.
  Option 2: Platform has multiple databases, and it is possible to search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.over all databases or a single database.
  The auditor must run 100 searches on the platform, including 50 searches against only 1 selected database and 50 against all databases. Each of these searches must report 1 “Searches_Platform” in the PR_P1 Standard View.
  Option 3: Platform has a single database.
  The auditor must run 50 searches on the platform, with all 50 searches run against the 1 database. Each of these searches must report 1 “Searches_Platform” in the PR_P1 Standard View.

• All searches, including those returning 0 results, must be reported as a “Searches_Platform” in the PR_P1 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each search.

• Each time a search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.is conducted, the auditor will record the search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.term, the database searched, and the number of results returned.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the searches reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in PR_P1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the searches on the auditor’s report.

4. 1. Audit-test P1-2: “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests”
      Option 1: Platform has multiple databases.
      The auditor must make 100 requests on a subset of the unique items made available to them.
      This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Requests” and 100 “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the PR_P1 Standard View.
      • Multiple paths should be used to make the requests. When possible, 50% of items requested should be via browsing the platform An interface from a “Content Provider” that delivers the content to the user A person who accesses the online resourceand that counts and provides the COUNTER usage reports.and 50% via searching. If either browsing to items or accessing items via searching is not possible, then 100% of items requested can be requested via the only available option. The user A person who accesses the online resourcemay think they are browsing a list but are in fact triggering searches. For this reason, requests via browsing may deliver unexpected searches, however the end Item/Title will always be as expected.
      • The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.
      • A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in PR_P1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the searches on the auditor’s report.

       

      Audit-test P1-Option 2: Platform has a single database.
      The auditor must make 50 requests on a subset items made available to them.
      This must result in 50 “Total_Item_Requests” and 50 “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the PR_P1 Standard View.

• The “Unique_Title_Requests” being reported in the PR_P1 Standard View will be determined by the number of unique titles noted by the auditor during the testing.
  Option 2: Platform has multiple databases that do not include titles.
  The auditor must make 100 requests on a subset of the unique items made available to them.
  This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Requests” and 100 “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the PR_P1 Standard View. The number of “Unique_Title_Requests” being reported will be 0.
  Option 3: Platform has a single database, which includes titles.
  The auditor must make 50 requests on items made available to them, including 25 requests against items not within titles (if available) and 25 requests against Items within titles (if available).
  If the platform An interface from a “Content Provider” that delivers the content to the user A person who accesses the online resourceand that counts and provides the COUNTER usage reports.does not have content that is within a Title, then all 50 requests must be made to Items within titles.
  Each title must have 5 Items requested within it (reporting 5 “Total_Item_Requests”, 5 “Unique_Item_Requests”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).
  It may not be possible to know which Title the Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.being requested belongs to prior to the delivery of the Item. In this case, the titles containing the Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.must be noted by the auditor upon request.
  This must result in 50 “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the PR_P1 Standard View.
  The “Unique_Title_Requests” being reported in the PR_P1 Standard View will be determined by the number of unique titles noted by the auditor during the testing.
  Option 4: Platform has a single database, which does not include titles.
  The auditor must make 50 requests on items made available to them.
  This must result in 50 “Total_Item_Requests” and 50 “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the PR_P1 Standard View. The number of “Unique_Title_Requests” being reported will be 0.

• Multiple paths should be used to make the requests. When possible, 50% of items requested should be via browsing the platform An interface from a “Content Provider” that delivers the content to the user A person who accesses the online resourceand that counts and provides the COUNTER usage reports.and 50% via searching. If either browsing to items or accessing items via searching is not possible, then 100% of items requested can be requested via the only available option. The user A person who accesses the online resourcemay think they are browsing a list but are in fact triggering searches. For this reason, requests via browsing may deliver unexpected searches, however the end Item/Title will always be as expected.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in PR_P1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the searches on the auditor’s report.

5. Audit-test P1-3: “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit test consists of clicking links to an item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between them, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted. In both cases only 1 “Unique_Item_Requests” will be reported. If the Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.being requested is within a Title, then the Title the Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.is within must be noted by the auditor and the “Unique_Title_Requests” will also report only 1.

The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests on the platform, and each test will consist of 2 requests. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:

• “Inside” tests (Two identical requests are made, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
• “Outside” tests (Two identical requests are made, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made more than 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests.
This must result in 15 “Total_Item_Requests” and 15 “Unique_Item_Requests” in the PR_P1 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.
The audit must carry out 15 outside tests.
This must result in 30 “Total_Item_Requests” and 15 “Unique_Item_Requests” in the PR_P1 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in PR_P1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests P1-1, P1-2 and P1-3 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit-test can be separately reported.

Database Reports

Master Report: DR

The Database Master Report will be COUNTER-compliant if the following Standard Views pass the COUNTER audits and the figures reported within them match what is reported in the Master Report.

Any Standard View that is not applicable to the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not require auditing. This must be agreed prior to the audit by COUNTER.

Standard View: DR_D1

Databases Searches and Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.Usage: Reports on key search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.and request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)metrics needed to evaluate a database.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. The auditor must have access to all databases available on the platform An interface from a “Content Provider” that delivers the content to the user A person who accesses the online resourceand that counts and provides the COUNTER usage reports.of the content provider.

2. Audit-test D1-1: “Searches_Regular” and “Searches_Automated”

• Option 1: The content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.offers multiple databases, and it is possible to search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.over all databases, a selected subset of databases, or a single database.
  The auditor must run 100 searches, including 50 against only 1 selected database, 25 against 2 selected databases, and 25 against all databases (without actively choosing).
  Each of these searches on a single database must report 1 “Searches_Regular” in the DR_D1 Standard View.
  Each of these searches over 2 databases must report 1 “Searches_Regular” against each of the selected databases in the DR_D1 Standard View.
  Each of these searches over all databases must report 1 “Searches_Automated” against each of the databases offered by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in the DR_D1 Standard View.

Option 2: The content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.has multiple databases, and it is possible to search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.over all databases or a single database.

The auditor must run 100 searches, including 50 against only 1 selected database and 50 against all databases (without actively choosing).

Each of these searches on a single database must report 1 “Searches_Regular” in the DR_D1 Standard View.

Each of these searches over all databases must report 1 “Searches_Automated” against each of the databases offered by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in the DR_D1 Standard View.

Option 3: The content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.has a single database.

The auditor must run 50 searches against the 1 database. Each of these searches must report 1 “Searches_Regular” in the DR_D1 Standard View.

• All searches, including those returning 0 results, must be reported as a “Searches_Platform” in the DR_D1 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each search.

• Each time a search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.is conducted, the auditor will record the search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.term, the database searched, and the number of results returned.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the searches reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in DR_D1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the searches on the auditor’s report

4. Audit-test D1-2: “Total_Item_Requests”

• The auditor must make 100 requests on a subset of unique Items made available.
  This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Requests” reported in the DR_D1 Standard View.

• Multiple paths should be used to make the requests. When possible, 50% of items requested should be via browsing and 50% via searching. If either browsing to items or accessing items via searching is not possible, then 100% of items requested can be requested via the only available option. The user A person who accesses the online resourcemay think they are browsing a list but in fact be triggering searches. For this reason making requests via browsing may deliver unexpected searches, however the end Item/Title will always be as expected.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in DR_D1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

5. Audit-test D1-3: “Total_Item_Requests” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit-test consists of making an Item Request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between them, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted.

• The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests, and each test will consist of 2 requests. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:

• “Inside” tests (The 2 requests are made to the same item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
• “Outside” tests (The 2 requests are made to the same item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made more than 30 seconds after the first).
  The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests.
  This must result in 15 “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the DR_D1 Standard View.
  The audit must carry out 15 outside tests.
  This must result in 30 “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the DR_D1 Standard View.
  This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in DR_D1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

6. Audit-test D1-4: “Total_Item_Investigations”
   IMPORTANT NOTE: This test does not need to be carried out where the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer Investigations that are not also Requests. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• The auditor must make 100 Investigations on a subset of unique Items made available to them.
  This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Investigations”.

• Multiple paths should be used to make the Investigations. When possible, 50% of Items Investigations should be via browsing and 50% via searching. If either browsing to item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations or accessing item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations via searching is not possible, then 100% of item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations can be made via the only available option. The user A person who accesses the online resourcemay think they are browsing a list, but in fact be triggering searches. For this reason investigations made via browsing may deliver unexpected searches, however the end Investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).will always be as expected.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in DR_D1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations” on the auditor’s report.

7. Audit-test D1-5: “Total_Item_Investigations” 30-second filters
   IMPORTANT NOTE: This test does not need to be carried out where the Content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer Investigations that are not also Requests. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period if they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit-test consists of making an Item Investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Investigations” made must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between, then 2 “Total_Item_Investigations” must be counted.

• The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests, and each test will consist of 2 item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:
  • “Inside” tests (Two item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations are made to the same item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.the second Item Investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made within 30 seconds of the first).
  • “Outside” tests (Two item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations are made to the same item, and the second item investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made more than 30 seconds after the first).
    The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests.
    This must result in 15 “Total_Item_Investigations” being reported in the DR_D1 Standard View.
    The audit must carry out 15 outside tests.
    This must result in 30 “Total_Item_Investigations” being reported in the DR_D1 Standard View.
    This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Total_Item_Investigations” reported by the Content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in DR_D1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Total_Item_Investigations” on the auditor’s report.

8. If the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer investigations that are not also requests, the following figure being reported as a result of the D3-1 and D3-2 audit tests must match in the DR_D1 Standard View: “Total_Item_Requests” must match “Total_Item_Investigations”

Audit tests D1-1, D1-2 and D1-3, D1-4 and DB1-5 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Standard View: DR_D2

Databases Access Denied: Reports on access-denied activity for databases where users were denied access because simultaneous-user licenses were exceeded or their institution The organization for which usage is being reported.did not have a license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.for the database.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. Audit-test D2-1: “Limit_Exceeded”
   IMPORTANT NOTE: This test cannot be carried out if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer a concurrent/simultaneous user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• The account used for this testing must have concurrent/simultaneous-user limit set, and the number of registered users concurrently allowed must be declared by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.prior to the testing. Ideally the account should allow a single active user A person who accesses the online resourceon the site requesting access to the database. This means that a second user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing the database would be turned away.

• Option 1: The content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.turns the user A person who accesses the online resourceaway when the concurrent/simultaneous-user limit is exceeded upon login.

The auditor will log into the site. This means that the user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit is at maximum active users.

The auditor will then attempt to log into the site using a different computer. The auditor should then be refused access because of exceeding the concurrent/simultaneous-user limit. Each time access is refused, the auditor will record this as “Limit_Exceeded”.

The auditor must force 50 “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways during testing.

Each of these concurrent/simultaneous turnaways must report 1 “Limit_Exceeded” in the DR_D2 Standard View.

Option 2: The content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.turns the user A person who accesses the online resourceaway when the concurrent/simultaneous user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit is exceeded upon searching or accessing a database.

The auditor will log into the site. This means that the user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit is at maximum active users. The user A person who accesses the online resourcewill then select and make a search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.on a database (or browse to a database).

The auditor will then log into the site using a different computer. The auditor will then repeat the action made on the previous computer (select and make a search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.on a database or browse to a database). After the search A user-driven intellectual query, typically equated to submitting the “Search” form of the online service A branded group of online information products from one or more vendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete service, or at a lower level (e.g. a collection)to the server.has been made (or database browsed to) the user A person who accesses the online resourceshould then be refused access because of exceeding the concurrent/simultaneous-user limit. Each time access is refused, the auditor will record this as “Limit_Exceeded”.

The auditor must force 50 “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways during testing.

Each of these concurrent/simultaneous turnaways must report 1 “Limit_Exceeded” in the DR_D2 Standard View.

Option 3: The content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.turns the user A person who accesses the online resourceaway when the concurrent/simultaneous-user limit is exceeded upon accessing an Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.within a database.

The auditor will log into the site. This means that the user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit is at maximum active users. The user A person who accesses the online resourcewill then navigate to and request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)an Item.

The auditor will then log into the site using a different computer. The auditor will then repeat the action made on the previous computer (navigate to and request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)an Item). After the Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.has been requested the user A person who accesses the online resourceshould then be refused access because of exceeding the concurrent/simultaneous-user limit. Each time access is refused, the auditor will record this as “Limit_Exceeded”.

The auditor must force 50 “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways during testing.

Each of these concurrent/simultaneous turnaways must report 1 “Limit_Exceeded” in the DR_D2 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each search.

• Each time a turnaway User is denied access to a content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.because the user A person who accesses the online resourceor the user’s institution The organization for which usage is being reported.does not have access rights under an agreement with the content provider.is made, the auditor will record the database on which the turnaway User is denied access to a content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.because the user A person who accesses the online resourceor the user’s institution The organization for which usage is being reported.does not have access rights under an agreement with the content provider.was produced. (In the case of turning away at log in, the database will be “All”).

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the turnaways reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in DR_D2 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the turnaways on the auditor’s report.

2. Audit-test D2-2: “No_License”

IMPORTANT NOTE: This test cannot be carried out if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not restrict site content or if restricted content is not displayed. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• The account used for this testing must have restricted access to content, and the content for which the user A person who accesses the online resourcehas no license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.to access must be declared by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.prior to the testing. Alternatively, the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.may declare the content that the user A person who accesses the online resourcedoes have license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.to access.

• The auditor will attempt to access content to which the account being used does not have access. Each time access is refused, the auditor will record “No_License”.
  The auditor must force 50 “No_License” turnaways during testing.
  Each of these “No License” turnaways must report 1 “No_License” in the DR_D2 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each search.

• Each time a turnaway User is denied access to a content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.because the user A person who accesses the online resourceor the user’s institution The organization for which usage is being reported.does not have access rights under an agreement with the content provider.is made, the auditor will record the database on which the turnaway User is denied access to a content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.because the user A person who accesses the online resourceor the user’s institution The organization for which usage is being reported.does not have access rights under an agreement with the content provider.was produced.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the turnaways reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in DR_D2 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the turnaways on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests D2-1 and D2-2 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Title Reports

Master Report: TR

The Title Master Report Reports which contain additional filters and breakdowns beyond those included in the standard COUNTER reports, and are aggregated to publication “Title” level rather than towards individual “Articles”/”Chapters”.will be COUNTER-compliant if the following Standard Views pass the COUNTER audits and the figures reported within them match what is reported in the Master Report.

Any Standard View that is not applicable to the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not require auditing, this must be agreed prior to the audit by COUNTER.

Standard View: TR_B1

Book Requests (excluding “OA_Gold”): Reports on full-text activity for non-Gold open access “Open Access” (“OA”) refers to online research outputs that are free of all restrictions on access (e.g. access tolls) and free of many restrictions on use (e.g. certain copyright and license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.restrictions). “Open Access” can be applied to all forms of published research output, including peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed academic “Journal” “Articles”, conference papers, theses, “Book” “Chapters”, and monographs. [wikipedia]books as “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests”. The “Unique_Title_Requests” view provides comparable usage across book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.platforms. The “Total_Item_Requests” view shows overall activity; however, numbers between sites will vary significantly based on how the content is delivered (e.g. delivered as a complete book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.or by chapter.)

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. The auditor must have access to all book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.content available by the content provider.

2. The “Access_Type” for all requests must be “Controlled” and not “OA_Gold”.

3. Audit-test B1-1: “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests”

• The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of unique Items within book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.titles.
  Each title must have 5 Items requested within it (reporting 5 “Total_Item_Requests” and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).
  This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_B1 Standard View.
  This must result in 20 “Unique_Title_Requests” being reported in the TR_B1 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_B1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

4. Audit-test B1-2: “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit test consists of clicking links to an Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.within a book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.title twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted. In both cases only 1 “Unique_Title_Requests” will be reported.

• The auditor must carry out a total of 32 test, and each test will consist of 2 requests. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:

• “Inside” tests (Two requests are made to the same Item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
• “Outside” tests (Two requests are made to the same Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made more than 30 seconds after the first).The auditor must carry out 16 inside tests.

Where possible, each title must have 2 Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 1 “Total_Item_Requests” and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).

This must result in 16 “Total_Item_Requests” and 8 “Unique_Title_Requests” in the TR_B1 Standard View.

This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

The audit must carry out 16 outside tests.

Where possible, each title must have 2 Items requested within it (reporting 2 “Total_Item_Requests” and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).

This must result in 30 “Total_Item_Requests” and 8 “Unique_Title_Requests” in the TR_B1 Standard View.

This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 32 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A Content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests” reported by the Content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_B1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests B1-1 and B1-2 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Standard View: TR_B2

Book Access Denied: Reports on access denied An attempt by a user A person who accesses the online resourceto access content that was denied because their institution lacked a proper license or simultaneous user A person who accesses the online resourcelimits specified in the license were exceeded.activity for books where users were denied access because simultaneous-user licenses were exceeded or their institution The organization for which usage is being reported.did not have a license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.for the book.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. Audit-test B2-1: “Limit_Exceeded”

IMPORTANT NOTE: This test cannot be carried out if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer a concurrent/simultaneous user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• The account used for this testing must have concurrent/simultaneous-user limit set for book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.title/items and the number of registered users concurrently allowed must be declared by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.prior to the testing. Ideally the account should allow a single active user A person who accesses the online resourceto access books. (This means that a second user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing books will be turned away).
• The content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.turns the user A person who accesses the online resourceaway when the concurrent/simultaneous-user limit is exceeded for books.

The auditor will log into the site and access a book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, this means that the user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit is at maximum active users.

The auditor will then log into the site using a different computer. The auditor will then repeat the action made on the previous computer (access a book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item). After the item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.has been requested the user A person who accesses the online resourceshould then be refused access because of exceeding the concurrent/simultaneous user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit. Each time access is refused, the auditor will record this as “Limit_Exceeded”.

The auditor must force 50 “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways during testing.

Each of these concurrent/simultaneous turnaways must report 1 “Limit_Exceeded” in the TR_B2 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each request.
• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_B2 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways on the auditor’s report.

2. Audit-test B2-2: No_License
   IMPORTANT NOTE: This test cannot be carried out if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not restrict site content or where restricted content is not displayed. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• The account used for this testing must have restricted access to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.content, and the book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.content that the user A person who accesses the online resourcehas no license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.to access must be declared by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.prior to the testing. Alternatively, the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.may declare the content to which the user A person who accesses the online resourcedoes have license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.to access.

• The auditor will attempt to access book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.content that the account being used does not have access to. Each time access is refused, the auditor will record “No_License”.

The auditor must force 50 “No_License” during testing.

Each of these Book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.content not licensed turnaways must report 1 “No_License” in the TR_B2 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each search.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “No_License” turnaways reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_B2 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “No_License” turnaways on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests B2-1 and B2-2 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Standard View: TR_B3

Book Usage by Access Type: Reports on book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.usage showing all applicable metric types An attribute of COUNTER usage that identifies the nature of the usage activity.broken down by “Access_Type”

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. The auditor must have access to all book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.content available by the content provider.

2. Audit-test B3-1:Total_Item_Requests, “Unique_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests”

• Option 1: content provider offers “OA_Gold” Items in addition to “Controlled”.

The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of unique Items within book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.titles (50 requests to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.Items where the “Access_Type” is “Controlled”, and 50 requests to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the “Access_Type” is “OA_Gold”).

Each title must have 5 items requested within it (reporting 5 “Total_Item_Requests”, 5 Unique_Item_Requests and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).

This must result in 50 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Requests” and 50 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 50 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Requests” and 50 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 10 OA_Gold “Unique_Title_Requests” and 10 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Requests” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

Option 2: Content provider does not offer “OA_Gold” items.

The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of unique Items within book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.titles.

Where possible, each title must have 5 items requested within it (reporting 5 “Total_Item_Requests”, 5 “Unique_Item_Requests”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).

This must result in 100 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 100 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 20 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Requests” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests”, “Unique_Item_Requests”, and “Unique_Title_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_B3 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests”, “Unique_Item_Requests”, and “Unique_Title_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

3. Audit-test B3-2: “Total_Item_Requests”, “Unique_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit-test consists of clicking links to an Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.within a book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.title twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted. In both cases only 1 “Unique_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests” will be reported.

• Option 1: Content provider offers “OA_Gold” items in addition to “Controlled” items.
  The auditor must carry out a total of 32 tests, and each test will consist of 2 requests. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:
  • “Inside” tests (Two requests are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
  • “Outside” tests (Two requests are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made over 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 16 inside tests (8 tests to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the Access_Type A COUNTER attribute used to report on the nature of access control restrictions, if any, placed on the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.at the time when the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.was accessed.is “Controlled” and 8 tests to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the Access_Type A COUNTER attribute used to report on the nature of access control restrictions, if any, placed on the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.at the time when the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.was accessed.is “OA_Gold”).

Where possible, each title must have 2 book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 2 “Total_Item_Requests”, 2 “Unique_Item_Requests”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Requests” and 8 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Requests” and 8 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 4 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Requests” and 4 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Title_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

(This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.)

The auditor must carry out 16 outside tests (8 tests to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the Access_Type A COUNTER attribute used to report on the nature of access control restrictions, if any, placed on the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.at the time when the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.was accessed.is “Controlled” and 8 tests to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the Access_Type A COUNTER attribute used to report on the nature of access control restrictions, if any, placed on the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.at the time when the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.was accessed.is “OA_Gold”).

Where possible, each title must have 2 book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 4 “Total_Item_Requests”, 2 “Unique_Item_Requests”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).

This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Requests” and 16 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Requests” and 8 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 4 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Requests” and 4 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Title_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

(This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.)

Option 2: Content provider does not offer “OA_Gold” Items.

The auditor must carry out a total of 32 tests, and each test will consist of 2 requests. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:

• “Inside” tests (Two requests are made to the same book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
• “Outside” tests (Two requests are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made over 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 16 inside tests.

Where possible, each title must have 2 book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 2 “Total_Item_Requests” and 2 “Unique_Item_Requests” and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).

This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

(This may not be the case if the Content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.)

The auditor must carry out 16 outside tests.

Each title must have 2 book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 4 “Total_Item_Requests”, 2 “Unique_Item_Requests”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Requests”).

This must result in 32 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Requests” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

(This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.)

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests”, “Unique_Item_Requests”, and “Unique_Title_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_B3 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests”, “Unique_Item_Requests”, and “Unique_Title_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

4. Audit-test B3-3: “Total_Item_Investigations”, “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and Unique_Title_Invstigations
   IMPORTANT NOTE: This test does not need to be carried out if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer investigations that are not also requests. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• Option 1: Content provider offers “OA_Gold” Items in addition to “Controlled”.

The auditor must make a total of 50 item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations within a subset of book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.titles (25 Investigations of items within a book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.where the Access_Type A COUNTER attribute used to report on the nature of access control restrictions, if any, placed on the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.at the time when the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.was accessed.is “Controlled”, and 25 investigations of items within a book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.where the Access_Type A COUNTER attribute used to report on the nature of access control restrictions, if any, placed on the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.at the time when the content item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.was accessed.is “OA_Gold”).

Each title must have 5 investigations to unique Items within it (reporting 5 “Total_Item_Investigations”, 5 “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and 1 Unique_Title_Investigations).

This must result in 25 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Investigations” and 25 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 25 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Investigations” and 25 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 5 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Title_Investigations” and 5 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Investigations” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

Option 2: Content provider does not offer “OA_Gold” Items.

The auditor must make a total of 50 Investigations within a subset of book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.titles.

Each title must have 5 investigations to unique items within it (reporting 5 “Total_Item_Investigations”, 5 “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Investigations”).

This must result in 50 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 50 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 10 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Investigations” being reported in the TR_B3 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations”, “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and “Unique_Title_Investigations” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_B3 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations”, “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and “Unique_Title_Investigations” on the auditor’s report.

5. Audit test B3-4: “Total_Item_Investigations”, “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and “Unique_Title_Investigations” 30-second filters
   IMPORTANT NOTE: This test does not need to be carried out if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer investigations that are not also requests. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit test consists of clicking links to an investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).of an item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.within a book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.title twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Investigations” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between, then 2 “Total_Item_Investigations” must be counted. In both cases only 1 “Unique_Item_Investigations” and “Unique_Title_Investigations” will be reported.

• Option 1: Content provider offers “OA_Gold” Items in addition to “Controlled”.
  The auditor must carry out a total of 32 tests, and each test will consist of 2 item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:
  • “Inside” tests (Two investigations are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made within 30 seconds of the first).
  • “Outside” tests (Two investigations are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made more than 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 16 inside tests (8 Investigations to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the “Access_Type” is “Controlled” and 8 investigations to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the “Access_Type” is “OA_Gold”).

Each title must have 2 book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 2 “Total_Item_Investigations”, 2 “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and 1 “Unique_Item_Investigations”).

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” and 8 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” and 8 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 4 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Investigations” and 4 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Title_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

The auditor must carry out 16 outside tests (8 tests to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the “Access_Type” is “Controlled” and 8 tests to book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.items where the “Access_Type” is “OA_Gold”).

Each title must have 2 book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 4 “Total_Item_Investigations”, 2 “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Investigations”).

This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” and 16 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” and 8 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 4 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Investigations” and 4 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Title_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

Option 2: Content provider does not offer “OA_Gold” items.

The auditor must carry out a total of 32 tests, and each test will consist of 2 item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.investigations. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:

• “Inside” tests (Two investigations are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made within 30 seconds of the first).
• “Outside” tests (Two investigations are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made more than 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 16 inside tests.

Each title must have 2 book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 2 “Total_Item_Investigations”, 2 “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Investigations”).

This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

The auditor must carry out 16 outside tests.

Each title must have 2 book item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.tests within it (reporting 4 “Total_Item_Investigations”, 2 “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and 1 “Unique_Title_Investigations”).

This must result in 32 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Title_Investigations” in the TR_B3 Standard View.

This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations”, “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and “Unique_Title_Investigations” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_B3 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations”, “Unique_Item_Investigations”, and “Unique_Title_Investigations” on the auditor’s report.

6. If the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer Investigations that are not also requests, the following figure being reported as a result of the B3-1 and B3-2 audit tests must match in the TR_B3 Standard View:
   “Total_Item_Requests” must match “Total_Item_Investigations”
   “Unique_Item_Requests” must match “Unique_Item_Investigations”
   “Unique_Title_Requests” must match “Unique_Title_Investigations”

Audit tests B3-1, B3-2, B3-3, and B3-4 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Standard View: TR_J1

Journal Requests (excluding “OA_Gold”): Reports on usage of non-Gold open access “Open Access” (“OA”) refers to online research outputs that are free of all restrictions on access (e.g. access tolls) and free of many restrictions on use (e.g. certain copyright and license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.restrictions). “Open Access” can be applied to all forms of published research output, including peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed academic “Journal” “Articles”, conference papers, theses, “Book” “Chapters”, and monographs. [wikipedia]journal content as “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests”. The “Unique_Item_Requests” provides comparable usage across journal platform An interface from a “Content Provider” that delivers the content to the user A person who accesses the online resourceand that counts and provides the COUNTER usage reports.by reducing the inflationary effect that occurs when an HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browsersfull text automatically displays and the user A person who accesses the online resourcethen accesses the PDF Portable Document Format, file formatted for the Adobe Acrobat reader. Items such as full-text articles or journals published in PDF format tend to replicate the printed page in appearanceversion. The “Total_Item_Requests” shows overall activity.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. The auditor must have access to all journal content available by the content provider.

2. The “Access_Type” for all requests must be “Controlled” and not “OA_Gold”.

3. Audit-test J1-1: “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests”

• The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of unique Journal Items.
  This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_J1 Standard View.
  This must result in 100 “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_J1 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

4. Audit-test J1-2: “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit-test consists of clicking links to a journal item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted. In both cases only 1 “Unique_Item_Requests” will be reported.

• The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests, and each test will consist of 2 requests. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:
  • “Inside” tests (Two requests are made to the same journal item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
  • “Outside” tests (Two requests are made to the same journal item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made over 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests.
This must result in 15 “Total_Item_Requests” and 15 “Unique_Item_Requests” in the TR_J1 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.
The audit must carry out 15 outside tests.
This must result in 30 “Total_Item_Requests” and 15 “Unique_Item_Requests” in the TR_J1 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests J1-1 and J1-2 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Standard View: TR_J2

Journal Accessed Denied: Reports on Access Denied An attempt by a user A person who accesses the online resourceto access content that was denied because their institution lacked a proper license or simultaneous user A person who accesses the online resourcelimits specified in the license were exceeded.activity for journal content where users were denied access because simultaneous-user licenses were exceeded or their institution The organization for which usage is being reported.did not have a license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.for the title.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. Audit-test J2-1: “Limit_Exceeded”

IMPORTANT NOTE: This test cannot be carried out where the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not offer a concurrent/simultaneous-user limit. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• The account used for this testing must have a concurrent/simultaneous-user limit set for journal items, and the number of registered users concurrently allowed must be declared by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.prior to the testing. Ideally, the account should allow a single active user A person who accesses the online resourceto access journals. This means that a second user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing journals will be turned away.

• The content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.turns the user A person who accesses the online resourceaway when the concurrent/simultaneous-user limit is exceeded for journals.
  The auditor will log into the site and access a journal item. This means that the user A person who accesses the online resourcelimit is at maximum active users.
  The auditor will then log into the site using a different computer. The auditor will then repeat the action made on the previous computer (access a journal item). After the Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.has been requested, the user A person who accesses the online resourceshould then be refused access because of exceeding the concurrent/simultaneous-user limit. Each time access is refused, the auditor will record this as “Limit_Exceeded”.
  The auditor must force 50 “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways during testing.
  Each of these concurrent/simultaneous turnaways must report 1 “Limit_Exceeded” in the TR_J2 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each request.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J2 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Limit_Exceeded” turnaways on the auditor’s report.

2. Audit-test J2-2: “No_License”

IMPORTANT NOTE: This test cannot be carried out if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not restrict site content or where restricted content is not displayed. This must be declared to the auditor and the COUNTER Executive Committee prior to testing.

• The account used for this testing must have restricted access to journal content, and the journal content that the user A person who accesses the online resourcehas no license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.to access must be declared by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.prior to the testing. Alternatively, the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.may declare the content that the user A person who accesses the online resourcedoes have license A contract or agreement that provides an organization or individual (licensee) with the right to access certain content.to access.

• The auditor will attempt to access journal content that the account being used does not have access to. Each time access is refused, the auditor will record “No_License”.
  The auditor must force 50 “No_License” turnaways during testing.
  Each of these journal content not licensed turnaways must report 1 “No_License” in the TR_J2 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each search.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “No_License” turnaways reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J2 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “No_License” turnaways on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests J2-1 and J2-2 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Standard View: TR_J3

Journal Usage by Access Type: Reports on usage of journal content for all metric types An attribute of COUNTER usage that identifies the nature of the usage activity.broken down by access type.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. The auditor must have access to all journal content available by the content provider.

2. Audit-test J3-1:Total_Item_Requests and “Unique_Item_Requests”

• Option 1: Content provider offers “OA_Gold” items in addition to “Controlled”.
  The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of unique journal Items (50 requests to journal Items where the “Access_Type” is “Controlled” and 50 requests to journal items where the “Access_Type” is “OA_Gold”).
  This must result in 50 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Requests” and 50 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_J3 Standard View.
  This must result in 50 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Requests” and 50 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_J3 Standard View.
  Option 2: Content provider does not offer “OA_Gold” Items.
  The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of unique journal Items.
  This must result in 100 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_J3 Standard View.
  This must result in 100 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_J3 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J3 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

1. Audit-test J3-3: “Total_Item_Investigations” and “Unique_Item_Investigations”

• Option 1: Content provider offers “OA_Gold” Items in addition to “Controlled”.
  The auditor must make a total of 50 investigations to a subset of unique journal items (25 Investigations of journal items where the “Access_Type” is “Controlled” and 25 Investigations of journal items where the “Access_Type” is “OA_Gold”).
  This must result in 25 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Investigations” and 25 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” being reported in the TR_J3 Standard View.
  This must result in 25 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Investigations” and 25 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” being reported in the TR_J3 Standard View.
  Option 2: Content provider does not offer “OA_Gold” Items.
  The auditor must make a total of 50 investigations to a subset of unique Journal Items.
  This must result in 50 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” being reported in the TR_J3 Standard View.
  This must result in 50 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” being reported in the TR_J3 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations” and “Unique_Item_Investigations” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J3 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations” and “Unique_Item_Investigations” on the auditor’s report

5. Audit test J3-4: “Total_Item_Investigations” and “Unique_Item_Investigations” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit-test consists of clicking links to an Investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).of a Journal Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between them, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted. In both cases only 1 “Unique_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Title_Requests” will be reported.

• Option 1: Content provider offers “OA_Gold” Items in addition to “Controlled”.
  The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests, and each test will consist of 2 Investigations. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:
  • “Inside” tests (Two investigations are made to the same journal item, and the second investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made within 30 seconds of the first).
  • “Outside” tests (Two investigations are made to the same journal item, and the second investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made more than 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests (8 tests to journal items where the “Access_Type” is “Controlled” and 7 tests to journal items where the “Access_Type” is “OA_Gold”).
This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” and 7 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Investigations” in the TR_J3 Standard View.
This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” and 7 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Investigations” in the TR_J3 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.
The auditor must carry out 15 outside tests (8 tests to journal items where the “Access_Type” is “Controlled” and 7 tests to journal items where the “Access_Type” is “OA_Gold”).
This must result in 16 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” and 14 “OA_Gold” “Total_Item_Investigations” in the TR_J3 Standard View.
This must result in 8 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” and 7 “OA_Gold” “Unique_Item_Investigations” in the TR_J3 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.
Option 2: Content provider does not offer “OA_Gold” Items.
The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests, and each test will consist of 2 Investigations. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:

• “Inside” tests (Two investigations are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is made within 30 seconds of the first).
• “Outside” tests (Two investigations are made to the same book A non-serial publication of any length available in print (in hard or soft covers or in loose-leaf format) or in electronic format. A COUNTER “Data_Type”.item, and the second investigation A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing information related to a “Content Item” (i.e. “Abstract” or detailed descriptive “Metadata” of an “Article”) or a “Content Item” itself (i.e. full text of an article).is more than 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests.
This must result in 15 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” in the TR_J3 Standard View.
This must result in 15 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” in the TR_J3 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.
The auditor must carry out 15 outside tests.
This must result in 30 “Controlled” “Total_Item_Investigations” in the TR_J3 Standard View.
This must result in 15 “Controlled” “Unique_Item_Investigations” in the TR_J3 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations” and “Unique_Item_Investigations” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J3 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Investigations” and “Unique_Item_Investigations” on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests J3-1, J3-2, J3-3, and J3-4 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Standard View: TR_J4

Journal Requests by “YOP” (excluding “OA_Gold”): Breaks down the usage of non-Gold pen Access journal content by year of publication (“YOP”) providing counts for the metric types “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests”. Provides the details necessary to analyze usage of content in backfiles or covered by perpetual access agreement. Note: COUNTER reports do not provide access model or perpetual access rights details.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. The auditor must have access to all journal content available by the content provider.

2. The “Access_Type” for all requests must be “Controlled” and not “OA_Gold”.

3. The auditor must record the Year of Publication (“YOP”) of every item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.accessed during audit testing.

4. The auditor must ensure that some full-text articles from different years of the same journal are requested during the J4-1 and J4-2 tests. Hence, the auditor should know the numbers expected to appear against each Year of Publication (“YOP”) in the TR_J4 report.

5. Audit-test J4-1: “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests”

• The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of unique Journal Items.
  This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_J4 Standard View.
  This must result in 100 “Unique_Item_Requests” being reported in the TR_J4 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J4 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

The auditor must confirm the Year of Publication (“YOP”) of articles covered in J4-1 with appropriate and proportionate spot checks, unless the article An item of original written work published in a “Journal”, other serial publication, or in a “Book”. An “Article” is complete, but usually cites other relevant published works in its list of “References”, if it has one. A COUNTER “Data_Type” used to identify and filter usage of content defined as “Articles”.is “YOP unknown”.

6. Audit-test J4-2: “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.
• The audit-test consists of clicking links to a Journal Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted. In both cases only 1 “Unique_Item_Requests” will be reported.
• The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests, and each test will consist of 2 requests. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:
  • “Inside” tests (Two Item requests Number of items requested by users as a result of a user request, action, or search. User requests include viewing, downloading, emailing and printing of items, where this activity can be recorded and controlled by the server rather than the browser. Turnaways will also be counted. (See 3.1.5.4)are made to the same journal item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
  • “Outside” tests (Two item requests Number of items requested by users as a result of a user request, action, or search. User requests include viewing, downloading, emailing and printing of items, where this activity can be recorded and controlled by the server rather than the browser. Turnaways will also be counted. (See 3.1.5.4)are made to the same journal item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made more than 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests.
This must result in 15 “Total_Item_Requests” and 15 “Unique_Item_Requests” in the TR_J4 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.
The audit must carry out 15 outside tests.
This must result in 30 “Total_Item_Requests” and 15 “Unique_Item_Requests” in the TR_J4 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in TR_J1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” and “Unique_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

The auditor must confirm the Year of Publication (YOP) of articles covered in J4-2 with appropriate and proportionate spot checks, unless the article An item of original written work published in a “Journal”, other serial publication, or in a “Book”. An “Article” is complete, but usually cites other relevant published works in its list of “References”, if it has one. A COUNTER “Data_Type” used to identify and filter usage of content defined as “Articles”.is “YOP unknown”.
Audit tests J4-1 and J4-2 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Item Reports

Master Report: IR

The Item Master Report Reports which contain additional filters and breakdowns beyond those included in the standard COUNTER reports, and are reported at the “Content Item” level, such as individual “Articles”, “Books” and “Chapters”.will be COUNTER compliant if the following Standard Views pass the COUNTER audits and the figures reported within them match what is reported in the Master Report.

Any Standard View that is not applicable to the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.does not require auditing. This must be agreed prior to the audit by COUNTER.

Standard View: IR_A1

Reports on journal article An item of original written work published in a “Journal”, other serial publication, or in a “Book”. An “Article” is complete, but usually cites other relevant published works in its list of “References”, if it has one. A COUNTER “Data_Type” used to identify and filter usage of content defined as “Articles”.requests at the article An item of original written work published in a “Journal”, other serial publication, or in a “Book”. An “Article” is complete, but usually cites other relevant published works in its list of “References”, if it has one. A COUNTER “Data_Type” used to identify and filter usage of content defined as “Articles”.level. This report is limited to content with a “Data_Type” of Journal, “Section_Type” of article, and metric types An attribute of COUNTER usage that identifies the nature of the usage activity.of “Total_Item_Requests”.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

The auditor must have access to all journal article An item of original written work published in a “Journal”, other serial publication, or in a “Book”. An “Article” is complete, but usually cites other relevant published works in its list of “References”, if it has one. A COUNTER “Data_Type” used to identify and filter usage of content defined as “Articles”.content available by the content provider.

2. Audit-test A1-1: “Total_Item_Requests”

• The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of journal article An item of original written work published in a “Journal”, other serial publication, or in a “Book”. An “Article” is complete, but usually cites other relevant published works in its list of “References”, if it has one. A COUNTER “Data_Type” used to identify and filter usage of content defined as “Articles”.Items.
  This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the IR_A1 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in IR_A1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

3. Audit-test A1-2: “Total_Item_Requests” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period whether or not they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit-test consists of clicking links to a Journal Article Item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted.

• The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests, and each test will consist of 2 requests. There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:
  • “Inside” tests (Two requests are made to the same journal article An item of original written work published in a “Journal”, other serial publication, or in a “Book”. An “Article” is complete, but usually cites other relevant published works in its list of “References”, if it has one. A COUNTER “Data_Type” used to identify and filter usage of content defined as “Articles”.item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
  • “Outside” tests (Two requests are made to the same journal article An item of original written work published in a “Journal”, other serial publication, or in a “Book”. An “Article” is complete, but usually cites other relevant published works in its list of “References”, if it has one. A COUNTER “Data_Type” used to identify and filter usage of content defined as “Articles”.item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made more than 30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests.
This must result in 15 “Total_Item_Requests” in the IR_A1 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.
The audit must carry out 15 outside tests.
This must result in 30 “Total_Item_Requests” in the IR_A1 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in IR_A1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests A1-1 and A1-2 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Standard View: IR_M1

Reports on multimedia Non-textual media such as images, audio and video.requests at the item Collective term for content which is reported at a high level of granularity, e.g. “Full Text Article” (original or a review of other published work); an “Abstract” or digest of a “Full Text Article”; a sectional HTML Article formatted in HTML so as to be readable by a web browser Hypertext Markup Language. A form of text markup readable by web browserspage; supplementary material associated with a “Full Text Article” (e.g. a supplementary data set), or non-textual resources, such as an image, a video, audio, dataset, piece of code, chemical structure or reaction.level.

An audit of this Standard View requires the following:

1. The auditor must have access to all multimedia Non-textual media such as images, audio and video.content available by the content provider.

2. Audit-test M1-1: “Total_Item_Requests”

• The auditor must make a total of 100 requests on a subset of multimedia Non-textual media such as images, audio and video.items.
  This must result in 100 “Total_Item_Requests” being reported in the IR_M1 Standard View.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each test.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in IR_M1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

3. Audit-test M1-2: “Total_Item_Requests” 30-second filters

• To ensure that the report is counting correctly as per the COUNTER Code of Practice, it is important that the browser cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.settings of the machines used for testing are disabled. It is also important that the auditee confirms before the audit period if they operate a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server. If they do, this test will not report as the Code of Practice expects and is likely to under-report successive searches outside the double-click Repeated click on the same link by the same user A person who accesses the online resourcewithin a period of 30 seconds. COUNTER requires that that double-clicks that occur in an interval of 30 seconds or less must be removed.threshold.

• The audit-test consists of clicking links to a multimedia item An “Item” of non-textual media content such as an image, streaming or downloadable audio or video files. (Does not include thumbnails or descriptive text/“Metadata”)twice in succession (double-clicks). If the two clicks occur within a 30-second time-span, only the second “Total_Item_Requests” must be recorded. If the two clicks occur with more than 30 seconds between, then 2 “Total_Item_Requests” must be counted.

• The auditor must carry out a total of 30 tests, and each test will consist of 2 requests). There are 2 types of tests that must be carried out:
  • “Inside” tests (Two requests are made to the same multimedia item An “Item” of non-textual media content such as an image, streaming or downloadable audio or video files. (Does not include thumbnails or descriptive text/“Metadata”)and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made within 30 seconds of the first).
  • “Outside” tests (Two requests are made to the same multimedia Non-textual media such as images, audio and video.item, and the second request A category of COUNTER “Metric Type” that represent a user A person who accesses the online resourceaccessing content (i.e. full text of an “Article”)is made more than30 seconds after the first).

The auditor must carry out 15 inside tests.
This must result in 15 “Total_Item_Requests” in the IR_M1 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.
The audit must carry out 15 outside tests.
This must result in 30 “Total_Item_Requests” in the IR_M1 Standard View.
This may not be the case if the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.operates a cache Automated system that collects items from remote servers to serve closer and more efficiently to a given population of users. Often populated by robots or modern browsers (qv). Note: Content Providers take steps to prevent local caching of their content, i.e. including appropriate headers on their site to restrict this.server.

• The auditor must allow at least 31 seconds between each of the 30 tests.

• A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will pass this audit test when the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” reported by the content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.in IR_M1 Standard View for the auditor’s test account is within a -8% and +3% reliability window of the sum of the “Total_Item_Requests” on the auditor’s report.

Audit tests M1-1 and M1-2 must take place in separate accounts so that each audit test can be separately reported.

Stage 3. Report Delivery: Checking delivery of the reports

In addition to verifying the delivery of reports in a tabular format, the auditor will check that the COUNTER reports are downloadable using the SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.protocol. This may be tested using the COUNTER Report Validation Tool, an open-source tool that provides a series of web-forms and guidance to take users through the steps and parameters needed to connect successfully to SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.servers and download content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.reports. The COUNTER Report Validation Tool may be found at: http://validate.projectcounter.org.

A content provider An organization whose function is to commission, create, collect, validate, host, distribute and trade information in electronic form and in doing so provides usage data. This includes organisations sometimes referred to as “Publishers”, “Vendors”, “Platforms” and/or “Intermediaries”.will only pass an audit test if the JSON-formatted report produced via SUSHI An international standard (Z39-93) that describes a method for automating the harvesting of reports.  COUNTER_SUSHI is an implementation of this standard for harvesting COUNTER reports. COUNTER compliance requires “Content Providers” to implement COUNTER_SUSHI.matches the total of the relevant usage counted on the equivalent tabular report offered by the content provider. In other words, a report should produce the same results irrespective of the format in which it is delivered.