Profiling Digital Collection Users: Using Google Analytics to Learn More about Users of an ETDs Collection

Abstract

This poster presents preliminary Google Analytics usage data for a collection of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs). Correlation of page views with page type, user location, and source (referring link) shows that, during the study period, most in-state users found the collection via internal sources (University links) and viewed mostly home and navigation pages, while most out-of-state users found the collection via external sources (search engines, databases) and viewed mostly bibliographic information pages. Nearly all of those who viewed actual ETDs were out-of-state “direct” users who may have bookmarked the collection during a previous visit.