Using web metrics to analyze digital libraries

This paper discusses the use of web metrics tools at four digital libraries, the Instructional Architect, the Library of Congress, the National Science Digital Library, and WGBH Teachers' Domain. We describe some of the issues involved in using web metrics to report on ongoing web site performance. We also describe how web metrics can be used for focused data mining, using session length metrics as our example; and here, we recommend that session length metrics, which were developed to track e-commerce, need to be carefully considered when they are applied in non-e-commerce settings, such as digital libraries. We conclude by discussing some of the current limitations and possibilities of using web metrics to analyze and evaluate digital library use and impact.

[1]  Weiguo Fan,et al.  Web site success metrics: addressing the duality of goals , 2006, CACM.

[2]  Michal Skubacz,et al.  Relevance and Impact of Tabbed Browsing Behavior on Web Usage Mining , 2006, 2006 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence (WI 2006 Main Conference Proceedings)(WI'06).

[3]  C. Borgman.  From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure , 2000 .

[4]  Mimi Recker,et al.  Understanding educator perceptions of "quality" in digital libraries , 2003, 2003 Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, 2003. Proceedings..

[5]  Owen G. McGrath.  Seeking activity: on the trail of users in open and community source frameworks , 2007, SIGUCCS.

[6]  Nina Koiso-Kanttila.  Consumers on the Web: Identification of usage patterns , 2003, First Monday.

[7]  Mimi Recker,et al.  Predicting document access in large multimedia repositories , 1996, TCHI.

[8]  Chris Neuhaus,et al.  Web Metrics Bibliography , 2004 .

[9]  Johan Bollen,et al.  Evaluation of Digital Library Impact and User Communities by Analysis of Usage Patterns , 2002, D Lib Mag..

[10]  Carol Peters,et al.  Evaluation of digital libraries , 2007, International Journal on Digital Libraries.

[11]  Peter Ingwersen,et al.  Toward a basic framework for webometrics , 2004, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[12]  Carl Lagoze,et al.  Metadata aggregation and "automated digital libraries": a retrospective on the NSDL experience , 2006, Proceedings of the 6th ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (JCDL '06).

[13]  Sara R. Tompson.  Digital library use: Social practice in design and evaluation , 2006, J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol..

[14]  Albert-László Barabási,et al.  Scale-free networks , 2008, Scholarpedia.

[15]  Mimi Recker,et al.  Using Content Across Digital Libraries , 2006 .

[16]  BelangerFrance,et al.  Web site success metrics , 2006 .

[17]  Johan Bollen,et al.  Usage Analysis for the Identification of Research Trends in Digital Libraries , 2003, D Lib Mag..

[18]  Mimi Recker,et al.  Perspectives on Teachers as Digital Library Users: Consumers, Contributors, and Designers , 2006, D Lib Mag..

[19]  Sally Jo Cunningham,et al.  A transaction log analysis of a digital library , 2000, International Journal on Digital Libraries.

[20]  Christine L. Borgman.  From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure , 2000 .

[21]  A. Barabasi,et al.  Scale-free characteristics of random networks: the topology of the world-wide web , 2000 .

[22]  Eelko K. R. E. Huizingh,et al.  Website optimization with web metrics: a case study , 2006, ICEC '06.

[23]  Ye Liu,et al.  You can lead a horse to water: teacher development and use of digital library resources , 2005, Proceedings of the 5th ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (JCDL '05).

[24]  J. Avery,et al.  The long tail. , 1995, Journal of the Tennessee Medical Association.

[25]  Michael Khoo.  Evaluating digital libraries with webmetrics , 2007, JCDL '07.

[26]  Anita Sundaram Coleman,et al.  Developing a Web Analytics Strategy for the National Science Digital Library , 2004 .