COUNTER 5.1 FAQ

From February 2025, some publisher and supplier platforms will start providing COUNTER reports in an updated version: Release 5.1. You can learn more about the changes with resources on the COUNTER website What's New - COUNTER Metrics.

Why are COUNTER moving to 5.1?

Development of the COUNTER standard is informed by feedback from the member community of libraries, consortia, publishers, aggregators, and technology providers.

COUNTER Release 5.1 was developed with a particular focus on open content and bibliodiversity. It aimed to rationalise and simplify aspects of the Code of Practice that were causing confusion. For more detail, we suggest watching the COUNTER Release 5.1: what you need to know video class available on the COUNTER website.

How will the COUNTER changes impact us?

To start understanding the changes and thinking about how this will affect you, we recommend looking at the resources on the COUNTER website What's New - COUNTER Metrics.

Appendix B: Changes from Release 5 summarises the differences. The key things to note are:

  • Names of the COUNTER Report and Standard Views will remain the same.
  • 'Item becoming the unit of reporting' will affect the reported figures for book Total Item Requests for some platforms. You will need to consider this when looking at trends. Unique Title Requests are unaffected and remain the most comparable across time and platform.
  • There are changes to the definitions of Access Type (i.e. Controlled, Open and Free To Read). This means some content will be categorised differently and in turn affect what is and isn't included in the TR_B1 and TR_J1 Standard Views.

We will also be working with the JUSP user group to explore the best ways we can support you throughout the transition. This may be providing guidance, hosting webinars, or convening forums for you to share experiences.

Will we need to provide new SUSHI credentials as publishers move to 5.1?

Based on information from platforms so far, we are not expecting there to be any changes to your credentials in most cases. Where we do need updated credentials, we will contact you about these.

Can I still view COUNTER 5 reports? Will there be an overlap of COUNTER 5 and 5.1?

Yes. Suppliers are required to continue producing COUNTER 5 reports for January, February and March 2025. Some suppliers have indicated they will be continuing to offer COUNTER 5 for longer. For current details of the specific coverage for your institution see: Data available at my institution (login required) in the portal.

If we are unable to collect 5.1 for a supplier, we will continue to collect R5 for as long as needed and possible.

Once we are able, we will collect 5.1 reports back to the earliest date available for that supplier/publisher.

How can I stay updated about the transition to 5.1?

We will keep you updated about platform readiness and data collection progress via information pages on the website and within the portal. Where we have milestone announcements, service updates, or need you to act, we will contact you via the JUSP libraries mailing list or emailing primary contacts.

COUNTER regularly post on their news page (https://www.countermetrics.org/news/). The COUNTER Registry is a good source of information about the current status of COUNTER compliant platforms.

Once we have a COUNTER 5.1 status page for platforms in JUSP, we will let you know.

What training and support will be available for libraries?

COUNTER will be running events and providing guidance through their website Education - COUNTER Metrics.

This will be supported by JUSP specific guides and events.

We will be working with the JUSP user group to find out how we can best support libraries through this transition.

When will I be able to access COUNTER 5.1 data via JUSP?

The initial phase of reports was released on 3rd November 2025. We continue to make improvements to the way JUSP handles data and the overall user experience of JUSP. Our next step will be to follow with the next release of reports. Harvesting into third party systems such as Alma via a COUNTER API (formerly known as SUSHI) will be a later development.

Alongside this we will evaluate current features and functionality to prioritise work and look for opportunities for enhancements and alternative solutions.

What is the best way to produce SCONUL reports for 2024/25?

This year you will need to use a mix of R5 and R5.1 reports to get a complete view of usage for some suppliers. Our 'SCONUL guidance 2024/25' page available within the portal explains how to do this.

There are two options for reporting:

Full JUSP SCONUL Year 24/25 R5 data - if suppliers provide R5 data for the whole period, use the R5 SCONUL report only.

Partial JUSP SCONUL Year 24/25 data - if suppliers have moved to R5.1, combine the R5 SCONUL report with the R5.1 SCONUL report. The guidance page lists affected suppliers and months.

Are there any changes to reports?

Reports closely align with the R5 reports, but there are some minor changes to be aware of:

  • The TR_B1 report is renamed to TR_B1: Book Requests (Controlled) in line with the COUNTER Code of Practice
  • The TR_B1 report remains as controlled usage only and does not include usage data for OA or free to read content
  • The TR_B3 report now includes a 'free to read' metric, alongside controlled and OA
  • The TR_J1 report is renamed to TR_J1: Journal Requests (Controlled) in line with the COUNTER Code of Practice.
  • The TR_J1 report remains as controlled usage only and does not include usage data for OA or free to read content
  • The TR_J3 report now includes a 'free to read' metric, alongside controlled and OA
  • The TR_J4 report is renamed to TR_J4: Journal Requests by YOP (Controlled) in line with the COUNTER Code of Practice. There is no change to the usage data being included here
  • The DR_D1 report is expanded to include 'Unique Item Investigations' and 'Unique Item Requests' metrics