Usage Reports Data Definitions

Most vendors provide usage data to NC LIVE on a monthly basis, but they are often in different formats and include different usage metrics. NC LIVE standardizes vendor usage data using the data definitions listed below. The statistics provided by NC LIVE reflect only usage of NC LIVE resources, not additional databases your library may subscribe to.

NC LIVE Data Definitions

NC LIVE standardizes vendor usage data by using four NC LIVE measures: Searches, Sessions, FT-Views and Abstracts.

Search: Most often represents the number of times a user submitted search terms to a form; discovery tools, federated search tools, and bundled databases can distort a unique count.

  • Databases with federated search tools are handled differently to avoid overcounting of search totals.
    • ProQuest: Total searches only includes the source labeled "ProQuest unique searches" (which de-deplicates searches across ProQuest products) and a few additional separate databases that aren't part of the federated search. These sources are noted on usage reports and on the list below.
    • Bibliolabs: HomeGrown search totals used as total for vendor.

Session: An identifiable sequence of requests from a single IP address; time constraint varies by vendor.

  • If N/A is listed, then the vendor is COUNTER 5 compliant and session data is not reported.

FT-View:  The number of articles, e-books, audio/video/map/image, or other individual full-content elements examined, downloaded, or otherwise delivered to a user.

AbstractPlusViews:  Abstracts are combined with FT-Views and reported as AbsPlusViews. Abstracts are the number of abstracts or record summary pages examined, downloaded, or otherwise delivered to a user; distinct from receiving full text content.

Vendor Specific Definitions

The top row of the table represents NC LIVE's data definitions. The rows in the table represent the data metrics in the vendor reports. 

VendorResourceVendor ReportSearchesSessionsFT-ViewsAbsPlusViews
ABC-CLIOABC-CLIO E-book CollectionNo Consortial ReportN/AN/AN/AN/A
Alexander Street Press (ProQuest)(2)North American Women's Letters and DiariesDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches AutomatedN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
BiblioLabsBiblio Core CollectionDetail & Full Access Data; Search DataSearchesN/ASuccessful Title Requests + Sucessful Multimedia Full Content Requests*Record Views + Successful Title Requests + Sucessful Multimedia Full Content Requests
BiblioLabsHomeGrown eBooks CollectionDetail & Full Access Data; Search DataSearchesN/ASuccessful Title Requests*Record Views + Successful Title Requests
Chadwyck-Healey (ProQuest)(1)All TitlesProQuest DR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches_Regular + Searches_FederatedN/AItem Requests*Total Item Investigations
Data-AxleData-Axle Reference SolutionsICOLC Usage summarized by Subscriber IDSearches*LoginsTotal Detail Records Viewed + Total Records Printed + Total Records DownloadedTotal Detail Records Viewed + Total Records Printed + Total Records Downloaded
EBSCOhostCINAHL Plus with Full TextDatabase Master Report (COUNTER 5)Searches_Regular + Searches_Federated + Searches_AutomaticN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
EBSCOhosteBooks on EBSCOhostDatabase Master Report (COUNTER 5)Searches_Regular + Searches_Federated + Searches_AutomaticN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
EBSCOhostLearningExpress Library and PrepSTEPDetailed Usage Summary Report & Sessions ReportN/ASessionsTotal # of Resources*Total # of Resources
EBSCOhostMasterFile PremierDatabase Master Report (COUNTER 5)Searches_Regular + Searches_Federated + Searches_AutomaticN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
EBSCOhostNoveList PlusDatabase Master Report (COUNTER 5)Searches_Regular + Searches_Federated + Searches_AutomaticN/ATotal Item RequestsTotal Item Investigations*
GaleGale in Context: BiographyDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Regular SearchesN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
GaleGale EbooksDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Regular SearchesN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
GaleGale Literature Resource CenterDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Regular SearchesN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
InfoBaseCredo ReferencePlatform Master Report (COUNTER 5)Searches_PlatformN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
InfoBaseFerguson's Career Guidance CenterPlatform Master Report (COUNTER 5)Searches_PlatformN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
InfoBaseFilms on Demand Video CollectionPlatform Master Report (COUNTER 5)Searches_PlatformN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
InfoBaseJust for Kids Streaming Video CollectionPlatform Master Report (COUNTER 5)Searches_PlatformN/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
InfoBaseOmnigraphics Health Reference SourcebooksBiblioLabs- Detail & Full Access Data; Search DataN/A(4)N/ASuccessful Title Requests*Record Views + Successful Title Requests
JSTORJSTOR

Platform Searches**,

Books Usage by Institution**

Searches_Count(3)N/ATotal Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
Midwest Tapehoopla AudiobooksCirculations by FormatN/AN/ACirculations*N/A
Midwest Tapehoopla EbooksCirculations by FormatN/AN/ACirculations*N/A
MorningstarMorningstar Investment Research CenterNC LIVE Statistics for Morningstar**N/ALoginsPageviews*Same as FT-Views
ProQuest CompanyProQuest Central Databases DR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches_Regular + Searches_FederatedN/AItem Requests*Total Item Investigations
ProQuest Company(1)Agriculture and Environmental Science CollectionDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches_Regular + Searches_FederatedN/AItem Requests*Total Item Investigations
ProQuest Company(2)Digital Sanborn Maps North CarolinaCustom Report**N/ASessionsPages Viewed*Pages Viewed
ProQuest Company(2)Ebook Central Academic and Public Library CompleteLibCentral - Usage ReportN/ANumber of rows per institution in the "Usage Report" spreadsheetNumber of rows per institution in the "Usage Report" spreadsheet*Same as FT-Views
ProQuest Company(1)eLibraryDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches_Regular + Searches_FederatedN/AItem Requests*Total Item Investigations
ProQuest Company(1)Entrepreneurship DatabaseDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches_Regular + Searches_FederatedN/AItem Requests*Total Item Investigations
ProQuest Company(2)HeritageQuestMultisite, Database Usage; Multisite, Counter Database Report 1SearchesSessionsCitation Abstract*Any Full Text + Citation Abstract
ProQuest Company(2)Historic North Carolina Digital NewspapersDatabase Report 1 (R4); Multi-site,Searches by Search Mode COUNTER 4Regular SearchesN/AN/AResult Clicks + Record Views*
ProQuest Company(1)History Study CenterDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches_Regular + Searches_FederatedN/AItem Requests*Total Item Investigations
ProQuest Company(1)ProQuest Learning: LiteratureDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches_Regular + Searches_FederatedN/AItem Requests*Total Item Investigations
ProQuest Company(1)SIRS Issues Researcher, SIRS DiscovererDR D1 (Database Search and Item Usage) COUNTER 5Searches_Regular + Searches_FederatedN/AItem Requests*Total Item Investigations
ProQuest Company(2)Statistical Abstract of the USDatabase Report 1 (R4); Multi-site,Searches by Search Mode COUNTER 4Regular SearchesN/AN/AResult Clicks + Record Views*
SageCQ Researcher OnlineCustom Report**N/AN/A  Item Requests*Total Item Investigations
Transparent LanguageTransparent LanguageCustom Report**N/ATotal SessionsTotal Circulations*Total Circulations
World Trade PressCypress ResumeNC LIVE Usage Stats Custom Dump**    

(1) These ProQuest databases are not included in ProQuest Central searches by default, but all are searchable at search.proquest.com along with ProQuest Central databases. Unique searches for all search.proquest.com sources are included on usage reports as "ProQuest unique searches".

(2) These ProQuest databases are searched on entirely separate interfaces from other ProQuest products and are not searchable at search.proquest.com.

(3) Includes searches across the JSTOR platform for all content, not just NC LIVE owned content. 

(4)BiblioBoard is not able to differentiate searches for HomeGrown vs. searches for Omnigraphics. All BiblioBoard search data is being attributed to HomeGrown. 

(*) Indicates the measure that NC LIVE uses to determine cost-per-use and other calculations.

(**) Custom Report created for NC LIVE by the vendor