The Usage Factor project is now being managed by COUNTER. For further information please contact Lorraine Estelle lorraine.estelle@counterusage.org .
The overall aim of the Usage Factor project is to explore how online journal usage statistics might form the basis of a new measure of journal impact and quality, the Journal Usage Factor (JUF). The specific objectives of the project are: to examine the ways in which journal quality is currently assessed; to assess whether the JUF would be a statistically meaningful measure; whether it would be accepted by researchers, publishers, librarians and research institutions; whether it would be statistically credible and robust; whether there is an organizational and economic model for its implementation that would be acceptable to the major stakeholder groups.
The project has been executed in two Stages, between 2007 and 2011. Stage 1 focused on market research into the overall feasibility and acceptability of the Journal Usage Factor in principle. Stage 2 focused on modelling and analysis, in which real usage data from COUNTER-compliant publishers was used to test the formula for calculation of JUF, as well as the processes for doing so on a sustainable, ongoing basis. The full report on both Stages of the project is provided below.
Full Report
Journal Usage Factor: results, recommendations and next steps
Appendix A: The Journal Usage Factor: exploratory data analysis
Sponsors
GOLD sponsors
• UKSG
• Research Information Network
SILVER sponsors
• ALPSP
• American Chemical Society
• STM
• Nature Publishing Group
• Springer