Project Status

December 2004 Report

View the December 2004 Report on the ERUS Project (minus appendices, which are linked from within this page and may be printed separately).

Project Schedule

The ERUS Project is developing according to the following schedule. As work progresses, the status will be updated on this page.

Status	Phase	Description

Completed Spring 2004	Literature/Resources Review	Literature and research on electronic resources usage statistics were studied to understand the history and current best thinking on the topic. Vendors statistics provision systems were explored to understand the currenty diversity of technical details and options available for data collection and analysis. Standardization initiatives were reviewed to ensure that the design of the ERUS system would be compatible and compliant with developing standards. Deliverables: Initiatives & Forums \| Annotated Bibliography \| ERM Tools Top of Page
Completed Spring 2004	Preliminary Database Design	Based on information gathered in the Literature/Vendor/Standards Review phase, preliminary Entity-Relationship diagram was devised, along with Data Dictionary and Relational Schema, to map out a potential database design. These products remain highly unstable as of August 2004. After the Technical Review phase, they will be "finalized" in preparation for the Database/Interface Construction phase and will be posted to this site at that time. Deliverables: Draft Entity-Relationship Diagram, Data Dictionary, Relational Schema (superceded by working versions - see Technical Review below) Top of Page
Completed Summer 2004	Survey	A 20 question survey was designed to assess the current practices for data collection, analysis and utilization of e-resources usage statistics; to identify specific challenges and ideal conditions for managing usage statistics; and, to gather feedback on a model for providing access to all the diverse e-resource statistics via a single, integrated database-backed Web interface. Responses were solicited from from the ERIL listserv (Electronic Resources in Libraries) of 1,567 subscribers. 29 survey responses were received between 14 July and 6 August 2004 and are summarized on this site (see Deliverables below) Deliverables: ERUS Survey Results Summaries and ERUS Survey Results Summaries with Raw Data Top of Page
Completed October 2004	Technical Review	Responses to the survey have uncovered existing systems developed by independent institutions that may contribute substantially to this project. Detailed review of these products and discussions with their authors constitute this phase. Deliverables: Working Entity-Relationship Diagram (PPT file), Working Database Structure with abridged data dictionary (XLS file), Formal Data Dictionary and Relational Schema (DOC file) Top of Page
In Process - October 2004 - February 2005	Database/Interface Construction	The database/interface will be constructed using MySQL, PHP and APACHE open source products as the database, scripting and server software respectively. The web interface will be coded XHTML 1.0 Strict to the greatest extent possible. Deliverables: ERUS Reporting/Analysis Interface (this web site - Home) Top of Page
In Process November 2004 - February 2005	Automated Data Collection Scripts	Working in cooperation with staff of the Raether Library and Information Technology Center at Trinity College, and the Falvey Library at Villanova University, scripts will be crafted to automate the data collection process as much as possible for at least the main abstracting and indexing database vendors/aggregators that are currently COUNTER compliant. Additional major vendors providing other types of resources not precisely compatible with the COUNTER format (reference, statistics, e-books, etc.) will be prioritized for data collection scripts. Deliverables: ERUS Data Collection Interface Top of Page
Scheduled May 2005	Testing & Documentation	Once all data is imported, 2-4 institutions will test the system according to common testing procedures as well as general review for their unique needs. Test results will be summarized on this site and used to develop Next Steps. Preliminary Instructions for Use will be written to guide users through the Data Collection and Analysis and Reporting interfaces as well as customization and technical issues. These will be combined with the finalized Entity-Relationship Diagram, Data Dictionary and Relational Schema to form a formal Documentation package available from this site. Deliverables: Testing Results, Instructions for Use, Finalized Entity-Relationship Diagram, Data Dictionary and Relational Schema Top of Page
2005-2006	Next Steps	* See detailed Next Steps list for immediate next steps to finalize prototype, test, report and initiate sustainability (funding). DEPENDENT ON FUNDING: * Update database and interface in response to testing feedback * Complete data collection scripts for additional vendors as necessary * Prepare for Pilot Study * Summarize ERUS Project for 2005 * Prioritize/Schedule Analysis Components (cost per search, peer comparisons, subject analysis) * Design/Add Analysis Components * Initiate Pilot Study * Summarize ERUS Project for 2006 Deliverables: To Be Determined Top of Page

Next Steps

View the detailed list of Next Steps planned for the ERUS Project as of December 2004.

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