Ask Us Your QuestionsClick to Count
Why Click to Count?
Each year, library staff review the online journals we subscribe to in order to assess which ones to retain and which can be canceled. Usage data plays heavily into those decisions. With data from the vendors and publishers, we calculate cost-per-use, cost-per-download, and other ratios that factor into a bigger decision about whether or not to continue subscribing to a journal.
This data is only captured when a user clicks on a link to a journal article (or e-book or streaming video…). If you upload PDF copies of articles instead of providing direct links, the usage data is not captured.
Think about this:
Twenty-five students open a PDF that was pre-loaded into BlackBoard. No usage is captured! Thus, the library doesn’t know how extensively the title was actually used, and even though it did get used, that title may end up on a list of journals to cancel. Now, instead imagine 25 students each clicking a link from BlackBoard to an article on the website of a publisher or database. Each click is usage that will count toward the value of keeping a library resource!
How to make things count
To ensure that every use of an article/journal gets counted, please do not provide a copy of the article in a PDF, Word Document, or other format. Instead, provide a link to the article on the website of the publisher or database.
To ensure that students will be able to access the article from off-campus, you can paste a URL into box below and we will create a permalink that will prompt an off-campus user to login through the UNT Libraries before taking them to the article.
Click2Count: Create a Library Proxy Link
Valid URLs should begin with http:// or https://
Always test your URL before using! Some databases may not be properly configured, and linking directly to PDFs won't always work. If this happens, please try pasting in a URL for the article’s landing page (presenting a choice of formats), or look for a “permalink” (also called stable link, durable link, persistent link/URL, permanent link/URL, or similar terms) to paste in. If you are still having trouble, please contact a Subject Librarian.
PermaLinking Tips
Basically, you have to CLICK to COUNT. Articles that are clicked on register usage data. Uploaded copies of articles do not. Usage data plays a very large role in budgetary decisions for library resources. By inserting permalinks or DOIs into your online courses, you can improve the data and help in making collection decisions.