[Eril-l] Unique Item Requests in COUNTER 5

[Kate Reagor]

Hi Thomas,

My understanding is the same. Typically unique item requests is supposed to make it easier to compare usage between (for instance) platforms where items are accessed by chapter and ones with only entire ebooks. If a user downloads multiple chapters from the same ebook during the same session then that would be three Total Item Requests, but only one Unique Item Request. So in theory the unique number shouldn’t ever be larger than the total.

I think the best course of action would be to contact the vendor and ask for an explanation. It may be that their method of counting and compiling the usage data has an error somewhere that needs to be corrected.



____________________________________
Kate Reagor, MSIS
Library Technical Services Specialist
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
texshare at tsl.texas.gov<mailto:texshare at tsl.texas.gov> | kreagor at tsl.texas.gov<mailto:kreagor at tsl.texas.gov>

From: Eril-l <eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org> On Behalf Of Waters, Thomas
Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 12:28 PM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: [Eril-l] Unique Item Requests in COUNTER 5

Good afternoon, colleagues:

Under what circumstances in COUNTER 5 are the number of Unique Item Requests greater than the number of Total Item Requests?

My understanding was that Unique Requests discounts double-clicks and multiple downloads within a single user session; therefore, I'd expect the number of Unique Requests to be lower than Total Requests. I'm noticing one vendor, however, with numbers of Unique Requests that are higher than the Total Requests. Trying to make sense of this...

As always, thanks for any help that you all can provide!

--
Thomas Waters, MA, MLIS
Technical Services Librarian
Assistant Professor
Trustee Library of Brenau University

500 Washington Street SE
Gainesville, GA 30501
770-718-5303
twaters1 at brenau.edu<mailto:twaters1 at brenau.edu>

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