FAQs

Usage statistics by district and region - reported by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC)

• FY 2021 usage through 3/31/2021
• FY 2020 usage through 8/31/20
• FY 2020 usage through 4/30/20
• FY 2020 usage through 11/30/19
• FY 2019 Usage through 8/31/19
• FY 2018 Usage through 8/31/18
• FY 2017 Usage through 8/31/2017
• FY2016 Usage Through May 2016
• FY 2016 Usage Statistics through 12/2015

How do I get statistics for all TexQuest resources?

The State Library maintains ChalkDUST where you can download and manipulate statistics for all TexQuest Resources.

• District TexQuest Participation Summary Reports can be accessed from this link on the Texas State Library and Archives Commission website.

What is ChalkDUST?

• ChalkDUST is a Database Usage Statistics Tool that provides one-stop access for Texas K-12 public schools and open enrollment charter schools participating in the TexQuest program to access their campus or district usage statistics.
• By providing a statewide repository for TexQuest usage statistics, campuses and districts across the state can be sure that they are measuring their TexQuest database usage using the exact same parameters.

What statistics are available?

• Each participating campus or district is able to download monthly statistics showing the number of Searches, Record Views, Result Clicks, and Full Text Documents from TexQuest's resources.
• From 2019 onward, some TexQuest resources will provide Total_Item_Investigations, Total_Item_Requests, and Searches_Regular.
• See the Getting Stats and Understanding Stats section for more information about these changes and statistics.

What statistics are not available?

• EBSCO LearningExpress statistics do not include breakouts for PrepSTEP. 
• EBSCO can be contacted at texquest@ebsco.com for student-level report for districts and schools.

Are there any changes to the TexQuest resources?

1. The Britannica eBooks subscription ended in June, 2019.
2. Beginning in 2019, most TexQuest resources began using three new statistics: Total_Item_Investigations, Total_Item_Requests, and Searches_Regular. These new statistics replace Record Views, Result Clicks, Regular Searches (Searches), and Full Text Documents. See the Understanding Stats section for more information about these changes and statistics.
3. Some TexQuest product name changes have recently gone into effect. ChalkDUST will list these resources with both the new and former product names. Open Table

What will I need to retrieve my usage statistics?
You'll need:

1. This URL: www.tsl.state.tx.us/texquest/chalkdust/
2. Your 6-digit district or 9-digit campus TEA ID number
3. A spreadsheet program such as Excel, able to read comma-delimited files
4. This free MS Excel Viewer -- with limited functionality
5. Google Sheets is a free application that also has some spreadsheet functionality

What if I do not know my 6-digit or 9-digit TEA-ID number?

• Search for it on AskTED.

Comma-Delimited Files? What's That?

• Comma-delimited (csv) files are plain text files that can be opened by almost any computer with either a spreadsheet application or a text editor. Unlike a web-page-viewable report, these files permit easy sorting and formatting to meet your needs.

Why are TexQuest statistics changing?

• Due to changing global statistics standards, most Record Views, Result Clicks, Regular Searches, and Full Text Documents are being phased out and replaced with Total_Item_Investigations, Total_Item_Requests, and Searches_Regular. The old statistics, Record Views and Result Clicks, are particularly confusing and imprecise. The old statistic, Full Text Documents, is limited to text materials. The new statistics strive for more clarity, precision, and inclusion.

Is there a "cross walk" for the old and new TexQuest statistics?

• The old and new TexQuest statistics are not directly equivalent. Total_Item_Requests are similar to Full Text Documents, however, the new statistic includes all materials and file types. Total_Item_Investigations are similar to Record Views plus Full Text Documents. Searches_Regular are equivalent to Regular Searches (aka Searches). See the next section for details and graphics.

What are Searches_Regular, Total_Item_Investigations, and Total_Item_Requests?
Definitions of the new statistics follow:

1. Searches_Regular is the number of times a user searches a database.
2. A Total_Item_Investigation is tracked whenever a user performs any action related to viewing a content item or title or viewing the item’s metadata.
   • For example, if a user does a search then clicks on two article abstracts, downloads the PDF for one article, and downloads one video record within the same session, this counts as four Investigations.
3. Total_Item_Request is tracked whenever a user views or downloads any full content item, including articles, books, videos, audio files, etc. in all file formats.
   • For example, if a user does a search then views an article in PDF and HTML within the same session, this counts as one Request. Below are two charts to help visualize the relationship between Investigations and Requests.

   
COUNTER graphics used with the permission of Project COUNTER

More information can be found at:
1. Release 5.0.2 Librarians PDF
2. Understanding Investigations and requests
3. Friendly Guide

What is the difference between Record Views and Result Clicks?

• A "Record View" is a very specific transaction where the user has viewed the detailed metadata record from a given database - e.g. to see the abstract and subject headings, etc. A record view could occur from a user clicking on the result list, or navigating detailed records or even linking in from another site - it is about viewing the detailed record.
• A "Result Click" is about the activity that happens on the search result list and it is tracking any click the user might have made on a result from a given database. Some examples of Result Clicks are: a user clicks the "findIt@my library" link; the user clicks to view full text; the user clicks to see the full record; the user clicks to "request article via ILL"; etc. In each case, the user has expressed interest in the result by clicking on something - and since that expression of interest can be attributed to the database that contained the metadata it also serves to indicate the value of the database.

More information on these measures can be found at:

1. Code Practice
2. Guides to Counter

What are the Full Text Documents statistics on ChalkDUST?

• ChalkDUST includes old Full Text Documents statistics from Gale ChiltonLibrary and EBSCO’s eBooks and LearningExpress.
• The new statistic, Total_Item_Requests, is the closest equivalent to the old Full Text Documents statistic and includes all materials and file types. ChalkDUST includes new Total_Item_Requests from Britannica, Gale resources except ChiltonLibrary, Infobase, ProQuest, and TeachingBooks.

How do I view statistics for a particular month or for a database? How do I derive subtotals and totals?

• The ChalkDUST application provides you with information in spreadsheet format to permit maximum flexibility for your needs.
• Use the "SORT" or "FILTER" functions on your spreadsheet application to view customized reports. The flexibility of these reports is only limited by your creativity with Microsoft Excel (or your favorite spreadsheet application).

Why is my campus-level or district-level statistics report showing no results?

• Some school districts use a single login and password for all the campuses in the district. When this is the case, campus-level statistics cannot be downloaded from ChalkDUST, only district-level statistics can.
  • You can contact the vendors for your campus usage statistics.
    • See TexQuest Statistics FAQs for vendor contact information.
      • If you have questions about this, please check with your district database coordinator or contact.
• If your campus or district has requested TexQuest vendors to set up special custom ids, substituting them for campus-level or district-level TEA-ID numbers, you will not be able to download these TexQuest usage statistics for those vendors from ChalkDUST.
  • You can contact the vendors for these usage statistics.
  • See TexQuest Statistics FAQs for vendor contact information.
    • If you have questions about this, please check with your campus/district database coordinator or contact.

Can I get day-by-day statistics or mid-month statistics reports?

• ChalkDUST does not offer these reports. You can contact the vendors for these usage statistics. See TexQuest Statistics FAQs for vendor contact information.

Who do I contact if I think something is wrong with my ChalkDUST statistics?

• ChalkDUST was created and is maintained by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). TSLAC contact: k12@tsl.texas.gov.