Analytics and Privacy

Using Matomo in EBSCO's Discovery Service

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v39i3.12219

Abstract

When selecting a web analytics tool, academic libraries have traditionally turned to Google Analytics for data collection to gain insights into the usage of their web properties. As the valuable field of data analytics continues to grow, concerns about user privacy rise as well, especially when discussing a technology giant like Google. In this article, the authors explore the feasibility of using Matomo, a free and open-source software application, for web analytics in their library’s discovery layer. Matomo is a web analytics platform designed around user-privacy assurances. This article details the installation process, makes comparisons between Matomo and Google Analytics, and describes how an open-source analytics platform works within a library-specific application, EBSCO’s Discovery Service.

Author Biographies

Denise FitzGerald Quintel, Middle Tennessee State University

Discovery Services Librarian and Assistant Professor

Robert Wilson, Middle Tennessee State University

Systems Librarian and Assistant Professor

References

Adam Chandler and Melissa Wallace, “Using Piwik Instead of Google Analytics at the Cornell University Library.” Serials Librarian 71, no. 3 (October 2016): 174, https://doi.org/10.1080/0361526X.2016.1245645.

Andrew Perrin, “Half of Americans Have Decided Not to Use a Product or Service Because of Privacy Concerns,” Pew Research, April 14, 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/14/half-of-americans-have-decided-not-to-use-a-product-or-service-because-of-privacy-concerns/.

Ben Popken, “Google Sells the Future, Powered by Your Personal Data,” NBC News, May 10, 2018, https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/google-sells-future-powered-your-personal-data-n870501

Brooke Auxier et al., “American and Privacy: Concerned, Confused and Feeling Lack of Control Over Their Personal Information,” November 15, 2019, Pew Research, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2019/11/Pew-Research-Center_PI_2019.11.15_Privacy_FINAL.pdf.

“Consumer Privacy Survey,” November 2019, CISCO, https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/security/cybersecurity-series-2019-cps.pdf.

“Data Retention,” Google, https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196?hl=en&ref_topic=2919631.

Gail Herrera, “Measuring Link-Resolver Success: Comparing 360 Link with a Local Implementation of WebBridge,” Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship 23, no. 4 (2011): 379–88, https://doi.org/10.1080/1941126X.2011.627809

“Google Advanced Protection Program,” Google, https://landing.google.com/advancedprotection/.

“Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On,” Google, https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/181881.

“Google Privacy and Terms, Advertising,” Google, https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads?hl=en-US.

Himanshu Sharman, “Best Google Analytics Alternatives in 2020—Matomo & Piwik Pro,” OptimizeSmart (blog), March 30, 2020, https://www.optimizesmart.com/introduction-to-piwik-best-google-analytics-alternative.

“How Do I Turn on the Do Not Track Features?,” Mozilla, https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-turn-do-not-track-feature.

Ian Barba et al., “Web Analytics Reveal User Behavior: TTU Libraries’ Experience with Google Analytics,” Journal of Web Librarianship 7, no. 4 (2013): 389–400, https://doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2013.828991.

“IP Anonymization,” Google, https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/ip-anonymization.

J. Clement, “Advertising Revenue of Google from 2001 to 2019,” Statista, February 5, 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/266249/advertising-revenue-of-google

Jason D. Cooper and Alan May, “Library 2.0 at a Small Campus Library,” Technical Services Quarterly 26, no. 2 (2009): 89–95, https://doi.org/10.1080/07317130802260735

Julie Arendt and Cassie Wagner, “Beyond Description: Converting Web Site Usage Statistics into Concrete Site Improvement Ideas,” Journal of Web Librarianship 4, no. 1 (2010): 37–54, https://doi.org/10.1080/19322900903547414

Junior Tidal, “Using Web Analytics for Mobile Interface Development,” Journal of Web Librarianship 7, no. 4 (2013): 451–64, http://doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2013.835218

Katherine Schwab, “It’s Time to Ditch Google Analytics,” Fast Company, February 1, 2019, https://www.fastcompany.com/90300072/its-time-to-ditch-google-analytics.

Kieren McCarthy, “Do Not Track Is Back in the US Senate,” The Register, May 20, 2019, https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/05/20/do_not_track

Lemon, “A Comparison of Data: Piwik vs. Google Analytics,” The FPlus (blog), November 30, 2016, https://thefpl.us/wrote/about-piwik

“Licenses,” Matomo.org, https://matomo.org/licences.

Lily Hay Newman, “The Privacy Battle to Save Google From Itself,” Wired, November 1, 2018, https://www.wired.com/story/google-privacy-data/

“Managing Your Database’s Size,” Matomo.org, https://matomo.org/docs/managing-your-databases-size/ - deleting-old-unprocessed-data.

“Matomo (software),” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matomo_(software).

“Matomo and phpMyVisites,” Matomo.org, https://matomo.org/faq/general/faq_437.

“Matomo Requirements,” Matomo.org, https://matomo.org/docs/requirements.

“Matomo vs. Google Analytics 360,” Matomo.org, https://matomo.org/matomo-vs-google-analytics comparison

Mohammad Azim and Nabi Hasan, “Web Analytics Tools Usage among Indian Library Professionals,” 2018 5th International Symposium on Emerging Trends and Technologies in Libraries and Information Services, (2018): 31-35, https://doi.org/10.1109/ETTLIS.2018.8485212.

Patrick O’Brien et al., “Protecting Privacy on the Web: A Study of HTTPS and Google Analytics Implementation in Academic Library Websites,” Online Information Review 42, no. 6 (2018): 734–51, https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-02-2018-0056.

Paul Betty, “Assessing Homegrown Library Collections: Using Google Analytics to Track Use of Screencasts and Flash-Based Learning Objects,” Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship 21, no. 1 (2009): 75–92, https://doi.org/10.1080/19411260902858631

Ramiro Federico Uviña, “Bibliotecas Y Analítica Web: Una Cuestión De Privacidad = Libraries and Web Analytics: A Privacy Matter,” Información, Cultura Y Sociedad no. 33 (2015): 105–12, http://revistascientificas.filo.uba.ar/index.php/ICS/article/view/1906

Richard Graham, “Google and Advertising: Digital Capitalism in the Context of Post-Fordism, the Reification of Language, and the Rise of Fake News,” Palgrave Communications 3, no. 45 (2017): 2-4, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-017-0021-4.

Ryan Singel, “Google Holds Out Against ‘Do Not Track’ Flag,” Wired, April 15, 2011, https://www.wired.com/2011/04/chrome-do-not-track

Shayna Pekala, “Privacy and User Experience in 21st Century Library Discovery,” Information Technology & Libraries 36, no. 2 (2017): 50, https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v36i2.9817.

Stephan Spitzer, “Better Control of User Web Access of Electronic Resources,” Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries 6, no. 2 (2009): 91–100, https://doi.org/10.1080/15424060902931997

Steven J. Turner, “Website Statistics 2.0: Using Google Analytics to Measure Library Website Effectiveness,” Technical Services Quarterly 27, no. 3 (2010): 261–78, https://doi.org/10.1080/07317131003765910

Sukumar Mandal, “Site Metrics Study of Koha OPAC through Open Web Analytics and Piwik Tools,” Library Philosophy and Practice (2019), https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/2835

Tabatha A. Farney, “Click Analytics: Visualizing Website Use Data,” Information Technology & Libraries 30, no. 3 (2011): 141–8, https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v30i3.1771.

Tabatha Farney and Nina McHale, “Introducing Google Analytics for Libraries,” Library Technology Reports 49, no. 4 (May 2013): 5, https://journals.ala.org/ltr/article/download/4269/4881.

Wayne Loftus, “Demonstrating Success: Web Analytics and Continuous Improvement,” Journal of Web Librarianship 6, no. 1 (2012): 45–50, https://doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2012.651416

Downloads

Published

2020-09-21

How to Cite

Quintel, D., & Wilson, R. (2020). Analytics and Privacy: Using Matomo in EBSCO’s Discovery Service. Information Technology and Libraries, 39(3). https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v39i3.12219

Issue

Section

Articles