5.1 Delivering JSON Reports

  • JSON reports MUST be formatted in accordance with the COUNTER API Specification (see Section 8).

  • The reports MUST be encoded using UTF-8. JSON reports and other COUNTER API server responses MUST NOT include a byte order mark (according to RFC 8259, Section 8.1).

  • JSON Reports MUST be “minimal”, i.e. information that can be included in a single objects MUST NOT be split into multiple objects:

    • all Items with the same Parent MUST be included in a single Parent_Item object in Item Reports only (avoids duplicate Parent metadata)

    • all Attribute_Performance objects for the same Item/Title/Database/Platform MUST be included in a single Report_Item object (avoids duplicate item metadata)

    • all Performance for the same Attribute combination MUST be included in a single Attribute_Performance object (avoids duplicate Attribute combinations)

  • The reports SHOULD NOT include unnecessary whitespace.

  • COUNTER API servers SHOULD use HTTP Compression if the client supports it.

  • JSON Reports MUST be available for harvesting via the COUNTER API within 4 weeks of the end of the reporting period.