Queries
A query is the result you get when looking for a specific group of applications. You can run a query by going to Applicants > Search or Applicants > Advanced Search. Your query can be as simple as 'who is studying abroad in Spring 2016' or as advanced as 'who is a female, majoring in Biology, with a GPA of 3.8 studied abroad in 2017.' The list of applications that fit that criteria are displayed as the results of the query. This list is frequently referred to as the search results. It is from this list of applications that you can then produce your reports by using either the 'Excel/Text export' or the 'Create report' options.
For more information on how to run a query, refer to the knowledge base article Enhanced Simple Application/Record Search.
Saving a Query
Once you have the list of applications that fit your specifications, you can save that search to your homepage so it will be easily accessible in the future. When saving queries you are not saving the results of the queries, but you are saving the actual search criteria. Saved queries and reports can be used over and over again and the results will always reflect the current data in your database. An important detail to remember about your queries is that you are running application searches - not applicant searches. The results you get are initially grouped by applicant name, but they represent applications that those applicants have generated. When constructing your queries, you should keep in mind that you are really looking to get a list of applications - not applicants.
- Type in the name of the Search (Ex: Incoming Students 2016) and click Save.
- Now, when you go to your Admin Home page, you will see that saved query in the My Queries & Reports panel.
- Every time you click to view this query, Terra Dotta software will re-run your search and show you a list of current students that fit that criteria.
- From your My Queries & Reports panel you can also export the query results as a text file, create reports, edit the query, delete it, or export as an excel file.
Creating Reports - You can create reports from your saved queries. Click on the Create New Report icon and specify the data that you would like to report. Click Results.
Editing Queries - By clicking on the Edit icon, you can make adjustments to your query without having to re-enter all the query specifications. Once you have made the appropriate adjustments, click Next. If you save this search with the same name as before, the new query will replace the old query.
Deleting Queries - If there is a red 'x' next to the query, you can click that to delete it. If there is a locked icon that means that the query is either shared or part of a query watch and therefore cannot be deleted.
Sharing a Query
It is possible for you to share a query with any other user on your site. Queries can be shared with admin in any permission group and with entire permission group instead of with just individual staff. This will put a copy of your query on their admin home page where they can always get the updated lists of applications that fit the criteria.
- To share a query, click on the "Share Queries" button on the admin home page.
- From the "Share Queries" section, select the query you wish to share.
- Select the staff members with whom you wish to share the query by populating the box to the right of their name with a check mark.check mark beside all the people with whom you would like to share the query. Click Share.
If the query owner makes changes to the query parameters and saves the query (not changing the name) - these changes will be cascaded to the shared query owners.
Query Watch - for information about this feature, refer to our knowledgebase article on Query Watches. Important information for sites hosted with Terra Dotta: A maintenance window is reserved every Friday from 11pm to 12am Eastern. You should not schedule query watches to run during this time as the task may be disrupted if site is undergoing maintenance.
Reports
Once you have query results, you can then run a report to find out specific things about each application. A report is a series of output columns and/or groupings generated from your query results. For example, once you have your results for applicants studying abroad for Spring 2016, you can run a report to get the emergency contact information for that group of applicants. Running a report will give you a list of the emergency contact information.Running a Report
- From the Search Results page, select Create Report from the drop down list next to Options.
- You will be brought to the Report Wizard page. Mark all the items you would like to be included in the report.
- At the bottom of the page, click Results.
- From the results page you can print the report by clicking the Print button.
Saving a Report
Just like with queries, when you save a report, you are saving the actual report criteria rather than the report results. Running it again will display the current information in your database that meets the report criteria.
- At the bottom of the Report Wizard page, type the name of the report you would like saved.
- Click Results.
- You will be brought to the report results page and this report has been saved to your Admin Home page in the My Queries & Reports panel.
- From you home page, you can edit, delete or export this report as an excel file.
Editing a Report
Any report that has been saved to the My Queries & Reports panel of the admin home page can be subsequently edited and re-saved with different output columns. To do this, you perform the following actions:
- From the Admin Home Page, you click on the yellow edit pencil to the right of the name of the saved report in the My Queries & Reports panel.
- Modify the output columns in the report wizard to reflect the new version of the report you wish to save.
- If you wish to retain the old version of the saved report, un-check the overwrite checkbox at the bottom of the form and change the name of the report to the new name you wish it to have
- Run the report
- The new version of the report will be saved to the My Queries & Reports panel.
Sharing a Report
- Once a report has been saved to your home page, you can share it with any other user on your site with the permissions.
- Click "Share Reports" on the last line of the Saved Reports section.
- Select the report you wish to share and put a check mark beside all the people with whom you would like to share the report. You also have the ability to share the query with a permission group.
- Click "Share" to finalize your action.
If a user wishes to have the ability to share reports with other users, the required minimum permissions are:
- Applicant Admin: Search or Applicant Admin: Advanced Search
- Applicant Admin: Report Creation
This will allow the user to run queries, create and save a report, and then share it with other facilitators/reviewers.
Seeing what you've shared
In the 'My Queries and Reports' panel there is a link to 'Share Queries' and a link to 'Share Reports'. If you click on one of those links you will see which of your saved queries/reports are already being shared and with whom.
Organizing Queries and Reports
Queries and reports can be sorted into folders using the "Move marked to" dropdown menu in each section. These folders are created and managed in Admin Home > Manage Folders. More information about admin home folders can be found in our Admin Home and Settings knowledgebase article.
Searching for Queries/Reports
You can use the keyword search field to find a particular saved query or report and display which folder it has been sorted into.