How would you measure the success of ITHAKA's JSTOR platform?

Introduction

Measuring the success of JSTOR, ITHAKA's digital library platform, requires a comprehensive approach that considers multiple stakeholders and the platform's unique position in the academic ecosystem. To address this product success metrics challenge, I'll follow a structured framework covering core metrics, supporting indicators, and risk factors while considering all key stakeholders.

Step 1

Product Context

JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources, providing access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines. It serves various stakeholders, including:

1. Academic institutions (libraries, universities)
2. Researchers and students
3. Publishers
4. ITHAKA (parent organization)

The primary user flow involves:

1. Authentication (via institution or individual account)
2. Search and discovery of content
3. Access to full-text articles or book chapters
4. Reading, downloading, or citing content

JSTOR fits into ITHAKA's broader strategy of advancing knowledge and education by providing access to scholarly content. It competes with other academic databases like EBSCO and ProQuest, differentiating itself through its extensive archive of older journal issues and unique primary source collections.

In terms of product lifecycle, JSTOR is in the maturity stage, having been established in 1995. However, it continues to evolve with new features and content types to meet changing academic needs.