E.2 The Required Audit Outputs

If the auditor identifies one or more issues, the content provider MUST resolve them and pass the audit within 3 months to maintain COUNTER-compliant status. Please see Section 9.2 in the COUNTER Code of Practice.

The auditor will provide to the COUNTER Executive Committee a summary report including, as a minimum, the following information:

  1. The name of the content provider

  2. The audit period and date

  3. The usage report(s) tested

  4. For each usage report tested, the test results, indicated as a % of the reported figures over the expected

  5. A summary of any material issues noted with the format/structure, data integrity, and/or delivery of the content provider’s reports. If there are no issues, a PASS should be noted.

  6. A clear indication of the outcome of the audit: PASS, QUALIFIED PASS, or FAIL.

  7. Any other comments that relate to the audit and are worthy of consideration by the COUNTER Executive Committee.

Sample Audit Report:

Content Provider

<name>

Audit Period

<mmm/yyyy>

Date

<mmm/yyyy>

Report

Usage Activity Result

Report Format

Data Integrity

Delivery

Opinion

Comments

Tabular

SUSHI

Reports Interface

SUSHI Server

TR_J1

100%

PASS

PASS

PASS

PASS

PASS

PASS

TR_B1

112%

PASS

REPORT TOTALS included

PASS

PASS

PASS

FAIL

SUSHI versions of reports must not have totals.

A content provider may need to submit multiple audit reports, some of which may PASS and some of which may FAIL. The results of each report’s tests should be submitted on a separate line. For a content provider to maintain COUNTER-compliant status, each audited report must PASS.