Overview of the New DC Dashboard

The new Digital Commons Dashboard streamlines the way you explore metrics, generate reports, and share insights for your repository or journal. With a refreshed layout that emphasizes clean, accessible navigation and clear visualizations, the new dashboard provides simple yet powerful reporting across devices.

Highlights of the new DC Dashboard:

• Quick navigation to metrics with more modular tabs.
• Snapshot of activity from all dashboard tabs on the Summary tab.
• Date filters along the top for easy switching between time frames.
• More screen space for viewing metrics with the addition of new Filter button side panel.
• Dedicated dashboard page for PlumX Metrics via a link in the top navigation bar.
• Responsive mobile layout.

Access the New Dashboard

Administrators may access the new DC Dashboard using the Digital Commons Dashboard (New!) link on their My Account page:

Permissions: Anyone with the “View NEW Dashboards” permission can access the dashboard. If you have that permission enabled at the site level, you can see results for a whole repository or multi-journal site. Administrators or editors for individual collections or publication structures are only shown statistics for the publications and works on the site where they have access.

Filter Results on the Dashboard

Filter by Date

To change the time frame for metrics and reports, select a date filter at the top of the dashboard. “Past 30 Days” is applied by default.

Date filter options:

• Past 30 Days: A 30-day snapshot including today’s date.
• Last Month: The previous calendar month, which correlates to monthly readership reports sent to authors and administrators.
• Past 90 Days: The maximum amount of time for which daily results are shown in graphs and usage reports.
• All Time: Monthly data going back to the launch of your site or collection.
• Custom: Allows you to select from a range of available dates containing data for your site or collection. To view activity for a single month, select the same month as the start and end date.

Filter by Content and Collections

Use the Filter button to select content filters for an individual item, item type, discipline, and/or specific collection.

To access and choose content filters:

1. Click the Filter button.
   
2. A side panel opens with the following content filter menus: Item Type (i.e., structure type), Discipline, Item, and Collections (i.e., specific structures). See details below for more information about each type of filter.
   
3. Click into a menu to search/browse and select filters as needed to narrow results. Selected filter tags appear at the bottom of the side panel and are retained as you navigate between menus. To remove selections, click the “x” on individual tags or click Clear all. Once you are finished with selections, click the Apply Filter button, which closes the panel.
   

Item Type filter:

• Includes the types of publication structures, such as series or journals, that contain content on your site.
• Allows multiple selections, which will create an OR search that returns results matching any of the selected types.
• When combining item types with disciplines, an AND search is performed. For instance, if you search for book galleries along with a biology discipline, the filter will return only biology books.
• A publication structure type will not appear if it is not used on your site.

Discipline filter:

• Includes works that have specific disciplines from the DC three-tiered taxonomy entered in their metadata.
• Choosing multiple disciplines creates an OR filter that will return results matching any of the disciplines selected.
• Combining disciplines with item types creates an AND search. For instance, if you search for the Biology discipline along with image galleries, the filter will return only Biology images.
• Selecting a discipline will include works in sub-disciplines. For example, a Discipline filter for “Education" will include items with the “Higher Education” discipline. 
• Only those disciplines used by content on the dashboard will appear in the Disciplines menu. A "No discipline" option also appears, which is helpful for highlighting content that needs disciplines assigned.

Item filter:

• Allows you to view metrics for a single work on the dashboard.
• The top 10 most downloaded items in the IR appear for selection by default. Use the filter’s search field to find specific items not in the list.
• When an item filter is applied, the title of the work appears near the top on the dashboard.
• To remove an item filter, click the Filter button to open the side panel, click “Clear all” (if present), and then click Apply filter.

Collections filter:

• View metrics for a single collection in a repository or a single volume/issue in a journal.
• The collection can be a single series, for example, or it can be a whole community that contains a number of series or other types of publication structures.
• A brand new collection may not show up right away, but should appear the following day. 

Adjusting Applied Filters

Tags for currently applied filters appear at the top of the dashboard, under the date filter options. To remove filters, click the “x” on filter tags. 

The default date filter, Past 30 Days, is not removable. To filter by no date, choose the All Time filter. To adjust or add content filters, click the Filter button to open the side panel and make further selections.

Include Collected Content

The Include Collected Content checkbox appears under the currently applied filters. It is checked by default.

This checkbox will include metrics for items collected to a publication structure from elsewhere in the repository, if that structure is currently selected using the Collections filter described above, 

When viewing metrics for the whole site, this option includes any content that may be collected from other DC repositories.

Save and Share Results

As you explore the dashboard, you can easily save views that you want to revisit or share with others. Use the Save & Share button to capture a dashboard view with currently applied filters. Then click Saved Searches in the top navigation bar anytime to view and share your saved dashboards.

Save the Current Dashboard

To save a dashboard view with the currently selected filters, click the Save & Share button in the upper right of the dashboard.

Enter a title and description (optional) in the window and click Save.

The saved view will be added to your Saved Dashboards page, described below. There you can return to or share any of your saved dashboards.

View and Share Saved Dashboards

Each saved dashboard view created with the Save & Share button will be available via the Saved Searches link in the navigation bar.

After clicking the Saved Searches link, you will land on the Saved Dashboards page. Click a title to view a saved dashboard and its associated filters. The other options allow you to share a saved dashboard (no login required), track the number of views, see scheduled share details, edit title and description, or delete a saved dashboard.

Use your preferred method below to share a saved dashboard with others. You can share as needed or on a recurring schedule, such as to regularly demonstrate impact to stakeholders.

Copy and share a link to a saved dashboard:

1. Click Share.
2. In the window that opens, click Copy link.
3. Share it by pasting in a text or email message, webpage, or social media post.

Share a link by email:

1. Click Share.
2. In the window that opens, enter recipient email address(es). Separate multiple addresses with commas.
3. Check the CC me option if you want a copy sent to you (at your account email).
4. You can enter a date to schedule email delivery in the future or you may leave blank to send immediately.
5. Select frequency. To send once, choose Does not repeat. To send on a recurring basis, choose Repeats and select a frequency of weeks, months, or years.
6. Click Send.

Title and description do not appear in email messages sent when sharing dashboards.

More about sharing dashboards:

• No password is required for users who access the dashboard via shared links.
• Sharing a dashboard generates a link to a specific initial view (the dashboard you saved).
• A user who clicks on a shared link can see the initial view plus explore other metrics on the dashboard. However, they won’t be able to see your administrative tools or Save & Share options.
• If the dashboard link is posted on a website, Google and other search engines will index the page and the page may appear in search results.
• Links to shared dashboards do not expire. However, you may delete a saved dashboard at any time if you no longer wish to provide guest access to a particular view.

Dashboard Tabs

The tabs listed along the left of the dashboard offer a variety of metrics that each convey unique insights into repository or journal activity.

Summary

The default dashboard screen, the Summary tab, includes a readership distribution map plus current snapshots of metrics from each of the other tabs.

The readership map provides a global, interactive visualization of your site’s readership for works matching the current dashboard filters. You can move the map by dragging it, and click the numbers in the download clusters or use the +/- zoom buttons for a more granular view. Data recorded on the map goes back to December 2014.

Downloads

This tab includes a graph, a table, and usage reports for viewing file download statistics.

The graph shows a tally of full-text downloads for content matching the current dashboard filters. Selecting the Include Additional Files checkbox will display downloads of additional files, if any, in a different color at the top of each bar. Hover over a bar to view the numbers for that time frame.

Below the graph is a list of all posted works and their associated downloads in a searchable table. Metadata-only items will show “n/a” for the number of downloads. To sort the table, click the column headings. Use the Display menu to adjust the number of works shown per page. Click a title to go to the work’s page on your site. 

To generate a usage report: Click the Generate Report button, which opens a window with the following options.

• Report type:
  • Choose “Full Text Downloads” to see download numbers for primary objects. Metadata-only items will be listed with a download of 0.
  • To include additional files, choose “Full Text & Additional Files.” Full texts and their additional files will appear separately in the report with their respective downloads, and any discipline or publication type filters will not apply. Only additional files that have at least 1 download are listed in the report.
• Provide:
  • Choose “Details for all works” to view data per submission.
  • “Summary by publication/series” will show a condensed list of downloads by publication structure (series, journals, etc.). Structures that don't have qualifying items will display as 0.
• Aggregate By: You may choose Total, Year, Month, or Day (if selected time frame is within past 90 days).

Click the Email me the report button when finished selecting options. You’ll receive an email containing a link to download the report in an Excel spreadsheet. The link in the email expires after one week. 

Metadata Page Hits

The graph, table, and reports on the Metadata Page Hits tab allow you to track views of published item pages that occurred whether or not a full-text file was downloaded.

The graph shows metadata page hits for works matching the current dashboard filters.

The table below the graph lists all posted works and their associated metadata page hits. You can search for works, adjust the number of works shown per page, or sort the table by clicking column headings. Click a title to visit the item's published page.

To generate a metadata page hits report: Click the Generate Report button, which opens a window with the following options.

• Provide:
  • Choose “Details for all works” to return data per submission.
  • “Summary by publication/series” will show a condensed list of metadata page hits by publication structure (series, journals, etc.). Structures that don't have qualifying items will display as 0.
• Aggregate By: You may choose Total, Year, Month, or Day (if selected time frame is within past 90 days).

Click the Email me the report button when finished selecting options. You’ll receive an email containing a link to download the report in an Excel spreadsheet. The link in the email expires after one week. 

Tip: Downloads tend to be higher than metadata page hits because users often access full-text files directly via search engines. Metadata page hits can offer insights into how readers interact with the site by browsing and searching the site, typing a URL from a citation, or clicking metadata page links in search results.

Streams

The graph shows usage for native video and audio streaming on works matching the current filters on the dashboard. Three types of metrics are shown: plays, views, and finishes. Hover over a time frame to view the metrics broken down by type.

• Play = the visitor pressed play on the video/audio player
• View = the video/audio played for 30 seconds or more
• Finish = the video/audio played all the way through 

Country/Region

This tab shows downloads by country, region, or state and it provides report options to export this geographical data from the dashboard. Data recorded for countries and regions goes back to December 2014.

The graph highlights the top 10 countries with the most downloads.

The table below the graph lists all countries with downloaded works and their total downloads. Click the Top Downloads link to explore the downloaded titles for each country. Expand a country in the table to view information for regions/states. You may also search for countries in the table, adjust the number of countries shown per page, or sort the table by clicking column headings.

To download country/region reports: Click the Generate Report button above the table to download a CSV file containing the countries currently visible in table. More granular reports by country and region are available via the Top Downloads links in the table.

Institutions

This tab shows institutions where readers accessed works and which types of institutions had the most downloads. Data recorded for institutions goes back to December 2014.

The graph features the total downloads for each of the following institution types: Commercial, Organization, Government, Military, Education, and Library. 

The table below the graph lists all institutions along with their institution type and total downloads. A Top Downloads link is available for exploring the downloaded titles for each institution. You may also search for institutions in the table, adjust the number of institutions shown per page, or sort the table by clicking the column headings.

To download an institutions report: Click the Generate Report button above the table to download a CSV file containing the institutions currently visible in table. More granular reports per institution are available via the Top Downloads links in the table.

Referrers

The graph, table, and report on this tab provide information about referrers such as domains or html pages where users may have clicked a link to download a full text.

The graph includes the top 10 referrers with the most downloads.

The table below the graph lists all referrers along with their total downloads. You may click a referrer URL in the table to go to that website. You can also search for referrers in the table, adjust the number of referrers shown per page, or sort the table by clicking column headings.

Note that some valid downloads do not have associated referrer data, because not all users pass along referral information. Over the years, fewer browsers and search engines have passed along this information, so referrer numbers now generally include only a small fraction of site traffic.

To download a referrers report: Click Generate Report above the table to export the results currently shown in the table to a CSV file.

Posted Works 

This tab provides metrics for the number of works posted to the site. Numbers include all posted records, including any that were posted and then withdrawn. Works can have a full-text object, an external link, or be metadata only--all are counted.

The graph shows how many works were posted per day or per month, depending on the currently selected time frame.

The table shows posted works from all time along with their publish date. Items that are metadata only will show "n/a" for downloads.

Click the title of a work to go to its location on your site. You may also search for works in the table, adjust the number of works shown per page, or sort the table by clicking the column headings. 

To download a posted works report: Click Generate Report to download a CSV file of the results currently visible in the graph. This report will break down the numbers of works posted by day for the past 90 days, after which works will be broken down by month.

Tips:

• To focus the dashboard on a particular work, use the Filter button plus the Item menu in the side panel. 
• To see the titles of works posted in a given time period, you can generate a Content Inventory utilizing the Content Reporting Tool (CRT), then sort by the Date Posted column.

PlumX Metrics

PlumX Metrics are included in your dashboard to aid discovery of the broader impact of site content. This built-in integration provides diverse metrics such as news mentions and social media shares, which can help uncover additional context about how people are interacting with works.

You can access PlumX Metrics using the link in the top navigation bar:

PlumX Overview tab:

Each tile on the main PlumX Overview tab represents a different category and shows a summary of metrics for that category. PlumX Metrics are organized into five categories: Usage, Citations, Captures, Mentions, and Social Media. For more details about PlumX categories, see Measuring Impact with PlumX Metrics in Digital Commons.

The PlumX Activity table on the overview tab breaks down the numbers in each category by individual work. In the table, you can:

• Click a work’s title to go to its location on your site, or click the PlumX link on the right to go to the PlumX record for that item.
• Sort the table by work or by any of the metrics columns.
• Use the Search box to find works in the table or the Display menu to adjust the number of works per page.
• Click Generate Report to download a CSV file of the currently shown results in the table.

Category tabs:

The five PlumX Metrics categories (usage, citations, captures, mentions, and social media) appear as tabs along the left underneath the PlumX Overview tab. Each tab includes a summary of metrics for that category at the top with a detailed table underneath. The column headings of each table reflect the specific sub-metrics within that category.

For instance, the Usage category summary and table look like this:

Clicking a title goes to the item’s page on your site. On the Social Media tab, there is also a PlumX link for each item to view its PlumX record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What constitutes a download?

See our page on Accurate Metrics in Digital Commons for a detailed answer about how we define a download. Please note that a set amount of time needs to pass between downloads of an item from the same IP address for them to not count as duplicates. Downloads by administrators from the administrator-facing side of our system are not counted. We also filter out all downloads made by staff.

Do usage statistics include withdrawn or hidden items?

The dashboard does not include hidden items. Withdrawn items are included on the dashboard and in usage reports, along with any previous download data available for them. In usage reports, they are identified as withdrawn in the “State” column.

Exception to the above: The “Full Text & Additional Files” usage report available on the Downloads tab behaves in the opposite way, i.e., withdrawn items are not included and hidden items are included in the report.

Can we obtain statistics or usage reports by IP address?

Not at this time. If a journal subscriber would like to know how many people are accessing the journal via their subscription, please let your consultant know, so we may track the request for the future.

Do “Full Text & Additional Files” reports show all additional files?

Currently, the “Full Text & Additional Files” report only shows additional files if they have downloads. This is different from the behavior for primary files, which will be included even if they have no downloads.

Is there a difference between statistics on the dashboard and those on the repository/site homepage?

There are two key differences. 1) The DC Dashboard is updated throughout the day, whereas homepage statistics are updated nightly. 2) Homepage statistics include downloads for hidden structures and items, whereas the dashboard does not track hidden items.

Do usage reports support Chinese or Unicode characters?

Yes. Submission titles with Chinese or other Unicode characters will display properly in usage reports.

Is it possible to determine which downloads are coming from the Digital Commons Network?

Currently, it is not possible to isolate these downloads. Referrals only show up for full-text downloads, whereas the DC Network only links to article information pages in Digital Commons and not to full texts. Visits to the IR from the Digital Commons Network can be found in Google Analytics.

Why are EBSCO and a few other sources denoted as “historical data only” in PlumX metrics?

When a PlumX source changes and data is no longer updated, PlumX often preserves existing metrics for use in research evaluation and marks the data as historical.

Where can I find out more about the types of reports available for Digital Commons?

The Overview of Digital Commons Reports provides a summary of all Digital Commons report options for administrators, editors, authors, and repository stakeholders.