Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-6-2024
Publication Source
Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship
Abstract
Using data from seven R1 and R2 universities in Ohio, this study seeks to determine the extent of usage of full-text e-journal articles stored across multiple platforms. Specifically, COUNTER 5 data is presented from five major academic journal publishers (Taylor & Francis, SAGE, Oxford, Wiley, and Springer), looking at usage within each of the publishers’ respective platforms, as well as in EBSCO, JSTOR, and OhioLINK’s Electronic Journal Center platform. The overarching goal of the analysis is to identify where exactly usage occurred for this e-journal content within the different platforms, especially in cases where an individual title has duplicate full-text access. Analysis of this data was conducted using Tableau and Excel. Findings raise significant questions about end-user behavior in terms of students’ and faculty’s ability to locate full text, regardless of whether it is discoverable from Google or other commercial search engines. The findings also suggest a strong connection between EBSCO usage and the academic calendar, with peak usage (as a percentage of overall usage) occurring in October, November, March, and April. Lastly, findings for Taylor & Francis e-journals within EBSCO call into question what these duplicate holdings mean for “big deal” subscription packages.
Inclusive pages
79-106
ISBN/ISSN
1941-1278
Document Version
Postprint
Copyright
The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Volume
36
Issue
2
Peer Reviewed
yes
Keywords
COUNTER 5; Wiley; SAGE; Taylor and Francis; Springer; Oxford University Press; EBSCO discovery service; electronic journals; data visualization
eCommons Citation
Robins, S. (2024). Are we relying on the wrong data? Analysis of e-journal usage data at seven R1 and R2 research universities. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 36(2), 79–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/1941126X.2024.2337578
COinS
Comments
The document available for download is the author's accepted manuscript, provided in compliance with the publisher's policy on self-archiving. Permission documentation is on file.
The Version of Record of this manuscript has been published and is available in the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 06 May 2024, https://doi.org/10.1080/1941126X.2024.2337578