Overview
Bars, lines and pies, oh my! The Analytics experience allows you to create visually appealing charts representing scholar data. Share how many H-1B scholars filed Premium Processing cases. Or which scholars are starting within the next 15, 30, or 60 days. This is just the beginning of the possibilities with Analytics!
Before getting started, it's helpful to note that the Analytics tool operates differently from classic reporting tools in Terra Dotta. You'll now be focusing first on defining what information you want and need from, for example, your scholars. These data points might be J-1 scholar name, start date, and SEVIS Status. Once you've defined what data you're looking for and determined how you wish to group this data (e.g. first by SEVIS Status, then start date), you'll then have your query. Then you'll be able to apply filters based on the individual needs you have and create your desired report. In this way, it is possible to use one query from which you can create multiple reports based on how you filter.
This article discusses the following topics related to Analytics:
Additionally, this article presents a high-level view of how report building may be experienced. We look forward to adding more updates to this article as Analytics continues to take shape.
Permissions & Access
The Analytics appears in the menu after clicking on the Hamburger Menu icon in the upper left corner of the page, which is accessible by any ISSS Admin. Specific access to Analytics requires users to have the appropriate permission(s).
There are two permission options:
- Report (Create/Edit)
- Query (Create/Edit)
Report (Create/Edit) only allows the user to create and edit reports based on queries shared with them.
Query (Create/Edit) only allows the user to create and edit queries.
If a user does not have either of these permissions, then they will only be able to view the respective queries and reports that are shared with them.
Important Note: The permission to create queries allows that user to see all data within the site. Therefore, the Query Permission should only be granted to those users who need to have access to everything.
Accessing Analytics
Once in Scholar Admin, navigate to Hamburger Menu icon to access the builder.
From the Analytics home screen, access a full list of your queries and reports.
Creating Queries
A maximum of 100 queries is allowed per site. To create a query, click the plus sign in the lower right corner of the screen. From the Query Builder page, you will add a title and, if desired, a description of your query.
To continue, choose your desired product. For Scholar, you will choose "Scholars".
From here you will choose your data source from which to build a query. For Scholar, select the "Scholars" data source.
From step 2 "Fields", you will first choose the fields, or data points, in the left-hand box that you wish to include in your query and then choose how you wish to group them using the right-hand box.
"Fields" and "Group By" options display in alphabetical order. Clicking the box to the left of a category will select all data points within it. Clicking the carrot will open the category, allowing you to choose individual fields within this category.
After choosing the fields required for the query, choose how the query should be grouped. If the end result is a table of data to be exported, a grouping is not required. However, if the goal is to create a chart with the data, such as a bar chart or line graph, a grouping must be selected.
Within the "Fields" section, you can determine how the results should be sorted. You will also see the order in which they're listed in the group by section (denoted by the number to the left of the sort option).
With the "Group By" section, the type can be changed by clicking the option.
Adding a name at any time, as shown in the screenshot below, will remove the red "Title" (showing it's required).
If a numerical value is selected, such as a rating or a numerical response to a question within a form, then the following calculations are also available.
After selecting the fields for the query and how you wish to group the results, you can filter to a particular subset, such as SEVIS status, host department, or start date, by clicking "Add filter". Filters are optional and are a way to limit the data set users can see if you share the query with others. Simply filter to include the information you want others to be able to access.
Simply type to start your filter search. Be sure to click "Apply" to select the appropriate filters. Once your filter is selected, you can choose the desired values. Multiple filters can be applied.
After filtering to the desired subset, this query can be shared with an individual or a group currently in the system. If the query is to be shared with someone not yet in the system, they should be added to the appropriate permission group first. This step in the query building process can be edited after saving it.
Once the query is configured, it can be saved or it can be run to immediately view the results (running will automatically save the query).
If a title has not been entered prior to clicking "Save" or "Save & Run", the system will select a name in order to save the query. This name can be edited.
Clicking "Save" in the "Query name" widget will save or save and run the query, depending on what was initially chosen. "Save" will take the user back to the main "Query" page while "Save & Run" will take the user to the "Query Execute" page, which shows the results in table format. From here user can go to the main query page, edit the query configuration, or create a report using this query.
Creating Reports
From the Report Builder page, you will add a title and, if desired, a description for your report.
To continue, choose your desired query from the "Select Query" search. Queries will populate at the bottom of the builder page.
After selecting the query as the base from which to build your report, you will be shown the configuration of that query.
Clicking "Next" moves you to the "Visualization" step, where you're prompted to select your desired graphic type.
Choosing a stacked option allows you to not only select the two groups you want to show in the graph, but also allows you to rename the X and Y-axis labels.
After selecting a graphic type, choose filters from which to group the data in your report. Any filters automatically applied, such as the one below, are inherited from the query used to build the report. If that filter needs to be updated at all, it must be done on the query level.
Filters available here that are related to applicant parameters are dependent on the parameters created on your site.
Once a filter is selected, you are able to drill down and pick the desired value options for each filter.
Note the inverted triangle to the left of the filter name: this denotes that this option can be created as a Dynamic Filter. Dynamic Filters provides for greater usability and customization within one report. Create a report with a variety of options within one filter, allowing for greater flexibility when using the report. Clicking the triangle allows you to enable the dynamic filter setting.
Once "Enable Dynamic Filter" is enabled, you are able to configure the filter settings. Select the filter values you want available to users when viewing the report. You can also include a special message to those viewing this report.
For example, I can create a dynamic filter for "Department", choosing all departments for the College of Engineering. This way, I have one report for the college and the separate department heads can filter to their individual set of travelers by choosing their department from the list.
Once the filters are selected, enter your message to the users and hit "Apply" at the bottom left of the screen.
When viewing the Filters configuration, you know Dynamic Filters are setup by the circle around the inverted triangle with the "D" on the upper left. At least one default field must be selected when using dynamic filters.
Step four of building a report is "Scheduling". When scheduling is enabled, a configuration panel appears from which you can set your dates and frequency options. Be sure to click the box to the left of "Enable Scheduling" in order to successfully use this feature.
Finally, share options can be configured with email notification to an individual or group. Clicking the "Notify users by email" toggle will send an email to those selected, notifying them that a report has been shared and is available to view by logging into the site.
Click "Save" or "Save & Run" to view your saved report.
From the results page you can change the title, description, dates, chart type and whether or not the report is public (others with access to "Analytics" can see it) or private (only you as the creator can see it). Filters can be added and aggregates can be removed and changed.
Below the visualization, click on the "Show DataTable" button to view more information. This data can be exported into an Excel file by clicking on the "Export" tab.
Templates
In addition to standalone queries and reports created by ISSS Admins, the Scholar module also features several analytics templates created and deployed to client sites by Terra Dotta. Analytics templates provide a baseline for commonly-used queries that can be used as-is or further customized by ISSS Admins to filter, sort and report on scholar data.
Access the templates by navigating to Analytics from your Scholar Dashboard hamburger menu, and select “Templates” from the All Queries box on the Query List page. A list of existing templates will appear.
Currently, ISSS Scholar analytics includes 4 templates. Then just click on the “Use Template” button to get started.
- All Scholars (does not include Inactive): a list of all scholars from all visa categories sort by name, excluding those in Inactive status.
- Active Scholars: all scholars with Active status in ISSS Scholar, sorted by name.
- Pending Scholars (includes Sponsorship Requests): a list of scholars both in Pending status and with yet-to-be-processed Sponsorhip Requests, sorted by name.
- All Scholars with Future End Dates: all scholars in all statuses with end dates in the future, sorted by name.
Each template is built with default fields and filters to capture the information described in the template name. ISSS Admins can add additional fields and filters or remove the default fields and filters as needed to customize the template to their needs when using it to build a query. To view the default fields and filters in a template, click on the template name and a list of existing fields and filters will appear. ISSS Admins can also run template query as-is by clicking the Run Query button located in the upper right hand corner.
To use a template to build a query, click on the Use Template button located to the right of the desired template name. This will open up a Query Builder, where ISSS Admins can customize the template by giving it a new name, adding and removing fields and filters, and sharing the query with other ISSS Admins. Once built as desired, ISSS Admins can save and run the query, as well as use it as the basis of a report. Each template can be used many different times as the basis for several different types of queries and reports. For more detailed instructions on building queries, please refer to the Creating Queries section of this article.