Schemas for the Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI)

About SUSHI Schemas

The SUSHI standard has three supporting XML schemas posted on the NISO website. The core schema (sushi[version].xsd) can be used with any conforming usage statistics reports.

If COUNTER reports are desired, the base schema calls up a second schema, the COUNTER-SUSHI schema (counter_sushi[version].xsd), which is also used. This schema references the COUNTER reports schema (counter[version].xsd), which creates an XML-formatted version of the requested COUNTER reports.

The two schemas with "sushi" in their name are basically retrieval envelopes for the XML-formatted COUNTER reports. The COUNTER XML schemas can be used separately from SUSHI by anyone who wants the reports in XML formats.

The links on the dates following the schema name are to a changes/correction webpage that provides information about what was changed in the particular schema. In some cases a link to a diagram illustrating the schema is available.

This webpage lists only the most current versions of the schemas. For previous versions, go to the Superseded SUSHI Schemas webpage.

SUSHI Namespace

The namespaces for SUSHI and COUNTER are defined within the COUNTER, SUSHI and COUNTER_SUSHI schemas on this site. To ensure the interoperability of this standard, namespaces must not be changed by implementers.

SUSHI Core Schema and WSDL

The core SUSHI schema is generalized to retrieve any compatible XML formatted usage statistics reports.

An accompanying Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file is also provided.

SUSHI1_7.XSD is the official schema that represents ANSI/NISO Z39.93-2014. Changes from the prior version include the addition of two new optional elements, Filter and ReportAttribute.  These new elements provide for more precision in a SUSHI request for a COUNTER report. Note that, at this time, support of the new Filter and ReportAttribute elements are completely optional and should only be introduced with mutual agreement between the client and server. 

Version 1.7

Major version: 1.7; January, 2015; documentation edits September, 2014

Version 1.6

Major version: 1.6; October 1, 2008; documentation edits October 20, 2008

COUNTER-SUSHI Schema and WSDL

This schema is used with the core SUSHI schema if the usage reports to be retrieved are COUNTER reports. This schema is updated to match the most current version of the COUNTER XML reports schema and thus may have a higher version number than the core SUSHI schema. Each release of the COUNTER Code of Practice will require separate schemas.

Release 4 of the COUNTER Code of Practice

Release 4 of the COUNTER Code of Practice was published in April 2012 with a deadline date for implementation of December 31, 2013. This Release replaces both Release 3 of the Code of Practice for Journals and Databases and Release 1 of the Code of Practice for Books and Reference Works. A new revision of the COUNTER schemas, V4.1, was released in Fall 2014. This version and the previous version are listed below.

Version 4.1

Major version: 4.1; updated November 30, 2014. This schema binds the COUNTER 4.1 schema with the SUSHI 1.7 schema to allow COUNTER reports to be delivered via the SUSHI protocol.

Version 4.0

Major version: 4.0; updated September 8, 2011. This schema binds the COUNTER 4.0 schema with the SUSHI 1.6 schema to allow COUNTER reports to be delivered via the SUSHI protocol.

COUNTER Schemas

This schema is an XML version of the COUNTER reports. It can be used separately from SUSHI by anyone who wants the COUNTER reports in XML format. NISO and COUNTER have agreed that the SUSHI committee will maintain this schema to ensure that the SUSHI and COUNTER schemas are synchronized.

This schema can be used for any of the COUNTER reports (journals, databases, books, reference works, consortium). The flexibility of the schema is achieved through the use of several self-defining elements. Rather than enumerate the allowed values within the schema, these values are defined outside of the schema to allow new reports and metrics to be added without needing to update the schema each time.

See also the COUNTER FAQ webpage for more information.

Release 4 of the COUNTER Code of Practice

Release 4 of the COUNTER Code of Practice was published in April 2012 with a deadline date for implementation of December 31, 2013. This Release replaces both Release 3 of the Code of Practice for Journals and Databases and Release 1 of the Code of Practice for Books and Reference Works. This release was represented by Version 4.0 of the COUNTER schema.

In the fall of 2014 the COUNTER schema was updated to Version 4.1. This release allows for the exchange of COUNTER article reports and was designed to be backward-compatible with the prior release and requires no changes to standard COUNTER reports. 

The schemas below are used to represent all COUNTER reports as defined in Release 4 of the COUNTER Code of Practice. New implementations should use Version 4.1 of these schemas.