Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common questions about using the Food and Agricultural Research Dashboard, including how to filter data, search for authors, and navigate the interface effectively.

Filtering Basics

Your active filters are displayed in the filter area at the top of the dashboard:

  • Look for the filter display area near the top of the dashboard
  • Applied filters appear as tags or chips with filter names and values
  • Each filter shows the field name and the selected criteria
  • You can see all active filters at a glance in this area
Filter display area showing active filters

You can remove filters in several ways:

  • Click the "X" button on individual filter tags to remove specific filters
  • Use the "Clear all filters" option to remove all applied filters at once
  • Right-click on chart elements to access filter removal options
  • Use the filter panels to modify or clear specific filter criteria
Filter removal options and clear buttons

Author Filtering

To filter by author category interactively:

  • Hover your mouse over author names or categories in the visualization
  • Look for the "+" (plus) and "-" (minus) buttons that appear
  • Click the "+" button to include only that author/category in your filter
  • Click the "-" button to exclude that author/category from your results
  • The dashboard will update automatically to reflect your filter choices
Interactive filtering with plus and minus buttons on hover

Yes! You can search for specific authors using the advanced search functionality:

  • Access the filter controls or search panel
  • Look for author-specific search fields
  • Enter the author's name (full or partial)
  • Use wildcards (*) for broader searches
  • Apply the filter to see results for that specific author

This is particularly useful when you're looking for publications by a known researcher in the field.

Author search interface step 1 Author search interface step 2 Author search interface step 3 Author search interface step 4 Author search interface step 5 Author search interface step 6 Author search interface step 7

Affiliation Filtering

To filter by institutional affiliation:

  • Look for affiliation-related charts or lists in the dashboard
  • Hover over institution names to reveal filter options
  • Use the "+" button to filter for specific institutions
  • Use the "-" button to exclude certain institutions
  • You can apply multiple affiliation filters simultaneously

This helps you focus on research from specific universities, organizations, or geographic regions.

Affiliation filtering interface with institutional options

Yes, you can search for specific institutions using advanced filtering:

  • Access the advanced filter options
  • Select affiliation or institution fields
  • Enter the organization name (use partial names for broader results)
  • Apply wildcards (*) to match multiple similar institutions
  • Filter to see research from your target organizations

This is useful for tracking research output from specific universities, government agencies, or research institutes.

Advanced affiliation search with institutional filtering

Filter Management

The dashboard supports complex filter combinations:

  • AND Logic (default): Multiple filters narrow results (must match all criteria)
  • OR Logic: Available in some advanced filter interfaces (matches any criteria)
  • Apply multiple filters step-by-step to refine your search
  • Use the filter display area to monitor your active criteria
  • Remove filters individually to broaden results as needed
Multiple filter combination showing AND/OR logic options

To confirm your filters are working properly:

  • Check the filter display area to see all active filters
  • Notice how result counts change when filters are applied
  • Review the data in charts and tables to confirm they match your criteria
  • Try removing and reapplying filters to see the difference
  • Use the dashboard's data summary or count indicators

The dashboard should show immediate visual feedback when filters are applied or removed.

Filter verification and result validation interface

If you're experiencing filter issues:

  • Clear all filters and start fresh
  • Refresh the page to reset the dashboard state
  • Check spelling in your search terms
  • Try broader search terms or wildcards
  • Remove conflicting filters that might exclude all results
  • Verify field selections in advanced search

Most filter issues can be resolved by starting with simpler criteria and building complexity gradually.

Filter troubleshooting and reset options

Best practices for effective dashboard filtering:

  • Start broad, then narrow: Begin with general filters and add specificity
  • Use the interactive hover filters for quick exploration
  • Monitor result counts to ensure you're not over-filtering
  • Save or bookmark useful filter combinations if the dashboard supports it
  • Explore related data before applying restrictive filters
  • Use wildcards strategically for flexible searching

Remember that the goal is to find insights, so balance precision with exploration.

Efficient filtering tips and best practices interface

Need More Help?

If you have questions not covered in this FAQ, please: