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Tasha Mellins-Cohen

@tashamc.bsky.social
774 followers 542 following 347 posts

Exec Director of COUNTER Metrics, Founder at Mellins-Cohen Consulting, big fan of standards, data, and sustainable open access. Inveterate textile nerd and housekeeper to a triad of demanding moggies. Posts are my own opinions.

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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Gentle reminder that, no matter what the individual I was speaking with over lunch might assert, being an open access publisher (still) doesn't give you the right to claim @countermetrics.bsky.social compliance in a press release.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I'm ready to present the @countermetrics.bsky.social #OpenAccess consultation at @oaspa.bsky.social later today. Don't forget to let us know what you think!
Visual representation of https://www.countermetrics.org/oa-consultation/
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I've been speaking about @countermetrics.bsky.social phase two AI work a lot recently, and there are more sessions coming soon, so I figured I should write it all down.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Whichever lovely (but anonymous) person grabbed my silly image and sent me a present, THANK YOU!
A white mug with a blue handle. Printed on the mug is the phrase "please never use standard views they leave out all the good stuff". The COUNTER Metrics logo appears in the top right corner.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
#OpenAccess folks, you've just a few weeks left to respond to @countermetrics.bsky.social OA consultation. I'll be talking about it at the @oaspa.bsky.social conference later this month, and it closes shortly after I return from Zagreb. www.countermetrics.org/oa-consultat...
countermetrics.org
Have your say: optimising for OA - COUNTER Metrics
Our working group wants to know your views on our proposed best practice for reporting open access usage metrics.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I'm very glad that @lorraineestelle.bsky.social decided to work with Him Indoors for multimedia all those years ago. It means it's not nepotism when he records and creates COUNTER Metrics videos, it's a sensible use of someone with multimedia skills who already knows our terminology 😆
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I had to write "please stop using standard views" many more times after my PSA, and my drama queen moment is now on the @countermetrics.bsky.social blog for all to see. www.countermetrics.org/confession-s...
countermetrics.org
Confession: My Standard Views Meltdown Moment - COUNTER Metrics
Last week I had what kind people will call a drama queen moment, and others might refer to as a standard views meltdown. Here's why.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Holy moly @annajester.bsky.social ... if curls are unprofessional, I'm in the wrong profession. Next time we're at the same event, we should sort out a curl crew photo!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Public service announcement: if I have to write "please stop using standard views" or a variant thereof one more time today, I may cry. If you need to know why, please read www.countermetrics.org/education/re...
An off-white square reading "please never use standard views (they leave out all the good stuff". There are some blue splotches in a ring in the background, and the COUNTER logo in the top right corner.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Attention consortia, national bodies, and others who ask libraries to consolidate or aggregate usage stats... @countermetrics.bsky.social updated guidelines about how to do so consistently are now live.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Another (not so small) thing that lots of librarians ask for: sample Global Item Reports, including country-by-country breakdown, are now up on the @countermetrics.bsky.social website
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
One of the most requested @countermetrics.bsky.social Registry upgrades is now live - you can filter platforms by the reports they offer. Great for #openaccess librarians looking for the Global Item Report!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
There's been a bit of a flurry of press releases about @countermetrics.bsky.social compliance recently, and not all of them are valid. As today's post says: if it’s not in the Registry, it’s not compliant!
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Reposted by Tasha Mellins-Cohen
COUNTER metrics @countermetrics.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
COUNTER Academy continues to be a great addition to our member offering. There's a post up today which shares a bit about how our alumni are using what they've learned - and what they thought of the course! www.countermetrics.org/academy-impa...
countermetrics.org
Second Academy course sees high completion and positive impact - COUNTER Metrics
The second COUNTER Academy saw a high completion rate and is also already having positive impact on participants and their organisations.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Just picked out a new book to start reading over lunch, and the bookmark I used last time I read it fell out... My business card from way back in 2013. Didn't realise it had been that long!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Glad I prepped this post on usage-based pricing before I went on leave, or it wouldn't be out this week! I had a glorious time reading, sleeping, going for long walks, and playing with textiles. Yesterday morning brought me back to earth with a bump, and I spent the day scaling Mount Email.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
When I started @countermetrics.bsky.social in 2022, one of my goals was finding a way to allow the organisation to have full-time staffing. From the 1st of August, that's going to be a reality. I'm going to miss working with @sianharris.bsky.social but am sure we'll cross paths again!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The latest from @countermetrics.bsky.social is a consultation on how we can improve our #openaccess reporting. Thanks to the OA working group for getting us this far - they're all listed on the blog post. Includes @oaspa.bsky.social , @doaj.bsky.social @ojcollective.bsky.social and others
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
⏰⏰⏰LAST CALL⏰⏰⏰ Today is the very last day for proposals for the @uksg.bsky.social 2027 conference - submissions close at midnight UK time. www.uksg.org/annualconfer...
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Reposted by Tasha Mellins-Cohen
Anna Hughes @anna-r-hughes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
PSA 📢 the deadline to submit a proposal for #UKSG2027 is 17 July! So if you have an idea for plenary, a breakout session, workshop or lightning talk, don't delay, submit today! 🔗 www.uksg.org/annualconfer...
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
From reviewing @countermetrics.bsky.social 2026 conference to thinking about @uksg.bsky.social 2027. You've got until this Friday, the 17th of July, to get your proposals in! www.uksg.org/annualconfer...
uksg.org
UKSG 2027 Call for Topics Submission Form - UKSG
We are pleased to announce that the UKSG in-person conference is scheduled to take place from 5th – 7th April at the SEC in Glasgow, UK. Like many conferences, we […]
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
It's true, I can't draw. But I can explain why dates in @countermetrics.bsky.social reports need to be text strings and not in Excel's date format, and that's what today's post is about.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Love that the new Pathway to Compliance for very small publishers is now part of the main @countermetrics.bsky.social Code of Practice!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
I've a Friendly Guide to COUNTER for Repositories in my long list of projects for later this year. Might have to run a poll to ask the community to prioritise things for me!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
If you think we're missing bots in the @countermetrics.bsky.social repo, now you can put a pull request in. We'll be reviewing and updating the repo quarterly.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
I'll be sharing news posts about the new features in R5.1.1 from @countermetrics.bsky.social over the next few days!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
As well as our @scholarlykitchen.bsky.social post, we created a synthesis report about the @universitypress.cambridge.org-hosted workshop. You can find it at www.countermetrics.org/ai-workshops/
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Reposted by Tasha Mellins-Cohen
COUNTER metrics @countermetrics.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
One of the questions that @tashamc.bsky.social gets fairly often is about when Release 5 will be retired. It depends on what you mean by retired, so she's put up a post to explain: www.countermetrics.org/retire-r5/
countermetrics.org
Retiring Release 5 - COUNTER Metrics
When will Release 5 be retired? It depends on what you mean by retired - and in this post, we explain it all.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I had forgotten how much pleasure a spirograph can provide - excellent desk toy, highly recommended.
A sheet  of A6 paper covered in circular pencil doodles. The spirograph used to create them, a plastic ring and several blue plastic cogs, sits next to the paper.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Don't forget to submit a proposal for @uksg.bsky.social 2027! The conference is in Glasgow from 5-7 April. We love proposals that give us something to take back to our day jobs, whether that's a hot tip on managing up or practical suggestions for setting AI policy. www.uksg.org/news/2026/05...
lnkd.in
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Personal achievement finally unlocked: 80kg deadlift! I'm getting a cheese toastie on the beach to celebrate. And to provide sufficient calories to get home.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
If you're involved with metrics aggregation, please do take a look and share your feedback on the latest @countermetrics.bsky.social consultation.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
I'd not expected quite this level of participation in the @countermetrics.bsky.social conference. Love this community!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
One of the best reflections of why the knowledge community needs to come together in spaces like @uksg.bsky.social and not stick to our silos, from Dr Tiberius Ignat: www.uksg.org/newsletter/u...
uksg.org
Why the next generation needs to start rubbing shoulders - UKSG
Tiberius Ignat argues that one of the greatest risks in scholarly publishing is professional isolation. When researchers, librarians, publishers, and vendors grow within separate bubbles, younger coll...
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
@countermetrics.bsky.social conference is over for another year, and I'm celebrating a cracking event with a glass of wine and my comfiest hoodie!
Tired but happy, Tasha raises a glass of red wine to the camera.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
HUGE credit to the @countermetrics.bsky.social education committee for putting together a fantastic programme!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
@uksg.bsky.social conference videos are live, and the @countermetrics.bsky.social conference is happening this afternoon, so there's lots of new information for me to get my teeth into!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Always good to talk to Becky, but I particularly appreciated that she sent me the questions ahead of time so I could think about my answers instead of responding on the fly!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
There have been a couple of press releases this week about @countermetrics.bsky.social compliance (or "conformance", which is a new one on me). To the lovely librarians asking me whether those publishers are actually compliant, this reminder is for you!
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Reposted by Tasha Mellins-Cohen
COUNTER metrics @countermetrics.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
New tech support post today: how can text and data mining activity be audited? www.countermetrics.org/tdm-audit/
countermetrics.org
How can text and data mining activity be audited? - COUNTER Metrics
Traditionally audits have run on Access Method Regular, but we've recently had a question about how TDM activity can be included.
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Reposted by Tasha Mellins-Cohen
COUNTER metrics @countermetrics.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
We've had a question about COUNTER and GDPR, and what can or cannot be shared between data centres in different jurisdictions. Check out the answer on today's post: www.countermetrics.org/usage-gdpr/
countermetrics.org
GDPR and COUNTER reports - COUNTER Metrics
This is a tech support post which answers questions about COUNTER and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
After a fab day in London with @uksg.bsky.social, it's about time I share the call for topics for the 2027 (!) conference. 2027 is our 50th anniversary and we've got cracking plans to make the conference better than ever, so get your skates on and submit a proposal! www.uksg.org/annualconfer...
uksg.org
UKSG 2027 Call for Topics Submission Form - UKSG
We are pleased to announce that the UKSG in-person conference is scheduled to take place from 5th – 7th April at the SEC in Glasgow, UK. Like many conferences, we […]
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
📣📣"demanding perfect reproducibility from AI tools while accepting opaque results from legacy systems is in some respects a double standard that deserves a bit more examination"📣📣 Thanks @scholarlykitchen.bsky.social scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2026/05/22/g...
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org
Guest Post — A Friendly Debate: Where Automation Will (And Should) Land in the Research Lifecycle - The Scholarly Kitchen
Today, we feature a friendly debate on the question: which parts of the research lifecycle should be more automated, and which require more of a human touch — and why?
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I enjoyed playing with Datawrapper to create the interactive map on the @countermetrics.bsky.social website! www.countermetrics.org/footprint-26/
countermetrics.org
Our footprint - COUNTER Metrics
COUNTER might be small, but we've got a pretty wide geographic reach. Check out the map to see where our community can be found!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
There's a lovely quote from Heather Loehr on the @countermetrics.bsky.social news page today, reflecting on her time with the Board. We're lucky to have had her insight and advice for 6 years! www.countermetrics.org/quoting-heat...
countermetrics.org
Impact and Community - COUNTER Metrics
Thank you to Heather Loehr, who has served as a Director for the past six years, bringing her insight to the COUNTER community.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
@countermetrics.bsky.social newsletter is as packed as usual, with best practices, a link to register for the free members-only Conference, and more.
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Figuring out how to report usage when 1 person can be tied to multiple institutions was surprisingly tough. My definition of compromise definitely came into play: everyone left our discussions equally aggrieved! Provided they were annoyed with me, not each other, I'm fine with that 😉
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Two down, one to go! The 2nd of 3 best practices we were working on simultaneously went live this morning. This one, called Pathway to Compliance, was all about making it possible for smaller publishers to get on board with @countermetrics.bsky.social
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
If you're looking for the context behind @countermetrics.bsky.social new AI guidelines, this @researchinfo.bsky.social article is for you!
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Tasha Mellins-Cohen @tashamc.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
This has been a massive project for me and for @countermetrics.bsky.social generally. I'm really proud to see our AI usage guidelines go live today!
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