An update to the OSF preprints infrastructure means that view counts are now displaying for preprints alongside download counts as of March 17, 2022.
Please note, view count data has been collected only since November 28, 2018. Preprints posted prior to this date have incomplete view count data.
Update [May 5, 2022]: In some instances, current download counts may have decreased when compared to downloads observed prior to March 17, 2022. Currently, only views and downloads on or after January 1, 2019 are displayed, so older preprints may have observed a drop in download count. This is due to instability in download data prior to January 1, 2019. Updates in late 2022 may cause further adjustments to view and download counts as data is migrated to a newer, more reliable analytics system.
Does this change mean that download counts can drop, relative to what was shown for a preprint prior to 17 March 2022? This looks like it may have happened. Did, perhaps, the prior “download” count include views as well as downloads?