9.3 Categories of Audit ResultΒΆ

There are three categories of audit result, as follows:

  • Pass - No further action is required by the content provider as a result of the audit. In some cases, the auditor may add observations to the audit report, which are intended to help the content provider improve its COUNTER usage reports but are not required for compliance.

  • Qualified Pass - The content provider has passed the audit, but the auditor raises a minor issue requiring further action to maintain COUNTER-compliant status. A minor issue does not affect the reported figures but MUST be resolved within three months of the audit to maintain COUNTER-compliant status. An example of a minor issue is where a report format does not conform to the COUNTER specifications.

  • Fail - The auditor has identified an issue that MUST be resolved within three months for the content provider to maintain COUNTER-compliant status.