Re: Journal usage statistics

[David Goodman <dgoodman@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>]

As Eric correctly says, even an accurate count of page views does not
provide the information we truly want. But surely it's the first step, and
of immensely greater help in deciding where to spend youtr money than the
previous methods, which amount to guesswork at best.

More detailed analysis will be possible, and the journal management
systems to which Eric has so notably contributed will provide part of it.
I am less confident than he that we already know how to obtain and analyze
this information, but we will learn if we work with the problem, not hide
from it.

As an interested party, let me urge those concerned to attend the
Charleston conference, expecially the pre and post conferences, where this
and related issues issue will be addressed from many points of view. See:
http://www.cofc.edu/cdconference/proceedings.html


Dr. David Goodman
Biological Sciences Bibliographer
Princeton University Library
dgoodman@princeton.edu