
COUNTER Code of Practice
Mission
Key Achievements
In early 2025 report providers started offering reports under the new Release 5.1 of the COUNTER Code of Practice, the first edition optimised for reporting on usage of OA content (https://cop5.projectcounter.org/en/5.1/). Over the course of the year we also developed and launched the members-only COUNTER Academy, an in-depth online education program for librarians and publishers. And in the latter half of the year, we're aiming to put out best practice guidelines on reporting for generative and agentic AI to complement the existing guideline on syndicated usage reports.
We continue to deliver support through tools like our open Registry (https://registry.projectcounter.org/) and the free Validator (https://validator.countermetrics.org/).
Technical Attributes
Maintenance Status
Open Product Roadmap
Technical Attribute Statements
Technology Readiness Level
- Actual system proven in operational environment
Content Licensing
- Creative commons licenses
Standards
Metadata
- JSON
Metrics
- COUNTER 5
- Make Data Count
- SUSHI
Service Providers
Integrations
- COUNTER Code of Practice
Community Engagement
Community Engagement
Community Statements
User Contribution Pathways
- Contribute funds
- Contribute to documentation
- Contribute to education or training
- Contribute to governance
- Contribute to working groups or interest groups
Community Engagement Activities
- Annual meetings
- Blogs
- Community calls
- Conference participation
- Interest, working, user, or advisory groups
- Mailing lists and discussion forums (including Slack)
- Social media
- Webinars and training
Engagement with Values Frameworks
- Principles for Open Scholarly Infrastructure (POSI)
Membership Program
More About Community Engagement
Community Engagement Activities:
Policies & Governance
Governance Summary
You can find out more at https://www.countermetrics.org/about/
Policies
Commitment to Equity & Inclusion
Web Accessibility Statement
Policy Statements
Board Structure
- Multi-board governance
Board Members
Community Governance
- Formal
Additional Information
Organizational History
We release updates to the Code of Practice on average every five years, though some small clarifications and backwards-compatible features may be released in the interim if the community requires it.
Since launch, COUNTER has been led by three Project Directors: Peter Shepherd, Lorraine Estelle, and now Tasha Mellins-Cohen. We are not for profit and not for sale. There's an article in Serials, the UKSG journal, describing our foundation: https://serials.uksg.org/articles/10.1629/15161
The history of our Board of Directors and finances can be accessed from Companies House: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04865179
Organizational Structure
Business or Ownership Model
Current Affiliations
- Informal links to multiple organisations, but none are directly involved in governance or operations
Funding
Primary Funding Source
- Contributions