ReadLängen

ReadLängen is a metric in digital reading analytics that quantifies how much of a text a reader has completed. It can be measured in pages, chapters, or estimated words and is often normalized by the text’s total length. The name blends Read with Längen (German for lengths).

Data sources include reading apps, e-readers, and browser readers, via progress logs, bookmarks, and timestamps. Calculations yield per-text and per-reader figures such as mean ReadLänge, median ReadLänge, and percentiles, as well as distributions and milestone curves showing where readers continue or drop off.

Applications include evaluating engagement, informing editorial design, and enabling personalized recommendations. Publishers use ReadLängen to identify sections that retain attention, while researchers compare reading behavior across genres and formats.

Limitations include privacy concerns, data quality, and differences in how the length of a text is represented across formats. Multi-device reading can complicate progress tracking, and the metric can be sensitive to whether a text uses chapters, pages, or other units.

Origin and standardization: ReadLängen appeared in digital humanities and information science discussions as a practical engagement metric. It is not yet standardized, and platforms may define units differently.