Why is Knovel switching to database reports and what are the consequences?
Last updated on September 02, 2025
In 2014, Knovel introduced the COUNTER Book Reports for the first time. Though COUNTER gave us a special approval to use Book Reports for reporting on Subject Area usage, there has been some confusion as a result.
Knovel went back to the COUNTER Advisory Committee in March 2016 to make our case that there is not a suitable report for our business model of reporting by Subject Area. After consulting with COUNTER, they have suggested we transition from Book Reports to the Database Reports, treating each Subject Area as a distinct Database.
Which reports are being replaced?
BR2 – Will be replaced by DB1
BR4 – Will be replaced by DB2
PR1 – Will remain available, except that we will now aggregate the Record Views into the report
CR1 – Will remain available via SUSHI
Will you offer the Book Reports in addition to Database Reports?
No, we will only support the Database Reports going forward once the audit is complete.
Will there be any difference in how usage is calculated?
No, the current measurement in Book Reports is synonymous with the Record Views metric in Database Reports, so you can continue adding this to your existing usage analysis.
Have the reports been audited?
Yes, before releasing the Database reports, we made sure reports were audited per Code of Practice.
Why are some rows blank?
At this time, the way our platform works, we cannot associate searches against our Subject Areas since search is performed against all Subject Areas. To support formatting rules, COUNTER would like us to retain the blank rows for automated systems.
Will SUSHI be supported?
Yes, our SUSHI reports will be updated to support the Database Reports.
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