Using This Site
WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE OF THE BOSTON INDICATORS PROJECT
This page provides a detailed "how to" on using the many features of the Boston Indicators Project. For more information on the framework and background of the Boston Indicators Project, visit the About the Project page.
Exploring the Features of the Boston Indicators Project Website
The Boston Indicators homepage is the portal to all of the features of the Boston Indicators Project, providing access to the biennial data "snapshots," as well as on-going, timely Boston Indicators updates. These include:
All feature of the project are easily accessible throughout the website homepage and the Indicators Project Special Features Navigation Box appears on the right of the Main Header Navigation. Click the title of the feature you want to explore.
THE BIENNIAL BOSTON INDICATORS REPORTS
The sector categories for the 2006 - 2008 Boston Indicators Report appears in the header throughout the site. You also can view past reports by clicking on the dropdown menu on the homepage beneath the report cover.
SECTOR HOMEPAGES
The Boston Indicators Project tracks change and progress in 10 sectors though approximately 70 indicator goals and 150 individual measures. Each sector homepage is the portal for the findings and analysis of the 2006-2008 Boston Indicators Report as well as items of special intersest and late-breaking news.
The sectors include: Civic Health, Cultural Life and the Arts, Economy, Education, Environment, Housing, Public Health, Public Safety, Technology and Transportation. You can reach any of the Sector Homepages by clicking on one of the ten sector boxes in the header atop every page.
You also can click on one of the links contained in the footer of every page to navigate to any of the ten sectors or the Executive Summary of the 2006 - 2008 Boston Indicators Report.
Homepage Elements:
Each sector homepage includes the following standard features in the left navigation bar:
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Sector Highlights
comprise an extensive overview essay that includes the results of the convenings about what stakeholders and experts across the sector have identified as key trends, recent accomplishments and remaining challenges for the 2006-2008 Boston Indicators Report.
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| Beneath the Highlights, Indicators-at-a-Glance is a feature that allows you to view all of the sector goals, measures and progress from a single page. The at-a-glance feature also allows contains a live link to each goal and measure for the sector. |
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You also can use the left navigation bar to select a sector GOAL to explore. Once you've have gone to one of the goals pages, you'll see left side navigation to the measures relating to that goal.
The right column of each sector homepage features announcements about events and new research relating to the sector.
REPORT FEATURES
Indicator Graphic Example
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Graphics
Each of the 150 measures tracked by the Boston Indicators Project is accompanied by an interactive graphic. Click on the graphics to generate a Pop-up page showing an enlarged view of the chart, table, list, or map. If there is a map on the Pop-up page, there may be a link to a corresponding reference map. If there is a table or chart, there may also be links to a corresponding data set that you can view or download.
To return to the page with the thumbnail image, click the "Close Window" button in the upper left corner of the Pop-up or View Data pages.
Viewing and Downloading Data
When a Pop-up page of a chart or table has corresponding data available, there will be options on the page to view and download data of the the chart or table.
Viewing Data
Click on the the "View Data on Screen" link next to the icon to view the actual data.
From the View Data pages, you can click on the "Return to Graphic" text link next to the Enhanced Graphic icon to return to the Pop-up page.
If you prefer to transfer the data to your own computer, you can download the data set.
Downloading Data
You can click the Download Data links on Pop-up or View Data pages, you can download the data into a spreadsheet. Click on the "Download Data" text link next to the Download Data icon to download an Excel file of the data.
In most cases, a pop-up window will offer the choice between opening the file or downloading the data to your computer. Please note: Depending on the operating system and local settings on your computer, the link may automatically display the data on your computer in an Excel spreadsheet. (To save the data on your computer, right click the "Download Data" text link and select "Save target as." Then select the location where you want to save the file.)
PROJECT FEATURES
In addition to the biennial Boston Indicators Reports, the Project contains a host of additional on-going civic features with information that is exclusively available through the website. For more information on each of these feactures can be found on the About the Project page, or through live links on the Indicaors homepage.
The Crosscut Filters tool can be found in the dropdown menu under the header atop every page. Crosscut Filters allow you to search for subjects and pull data that span across the ten topic sections: Boston Neighborhoods, Children and Youth, Competition, Race/Ethnicity, and Sustainable Development. Each Crosscut Filter page offers a description of the subject, a left column Crosscut Menu of links to related Indicators and the Crosscut Filter tool. Selecting an Indicator from the Crosscut Menu will display the page for that Indicator with both the Crosscut Menu and the section navigation menu for that Indicator. The Crosscut Filters offer an opportunity to explore the relationships among subjects such as Children and Youth a cross spectrum of Indicators.
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Boston: Hub of Innovation
Visit the Hub of Innovation to learn about ideas that will affect our futures. You'll find a wealth of Boston innovations as well as cutting-edge ideas from round the world. At the Hub of Innovation page, you'll see an image of the globe with a view of Boston at its hub. Click on any on the ten "slices" of the earth to explore innovations in each of the ten Indicator Report sectors. |
| PROFILES: PEOPLE AND PLACES |
The PROFILES: PEOPLE AND PLACES feature provides one-page "data snapshots" of Metro Boston, the region's inner core communities, the City of Boston and all of Boston's neighborhoods. The At-a-Glance pages can be found on the Boston Indicators homepage, in the drop-down menu beneath the sector navigation bar of every page, and in the table of contents for the 2006-2008 Boston Indicators Report.The At-a-Glance pages display demographic data drawn from the US Census that show change between 1990 and 2000 in such areas as total population, racial/ethnic and age diversity, and income and poverty. Land use and housing data are also provided.
Select a geographic area from the drop-down menu atop each page of the 2006 - 2008 Boston Indicators Project website.
Metro Boston Data Common
The Boston Data Portal page includes descriptions and links to the U.S. Census Bureau and some of the richest and most informative research sites with Metropolitan Boston data.
The Civic Agenda
Participate in helping to set the Civic Agenda by viewing the website, located by live link on the Indicators homepage as well as the Special Features navigation bar at the top of every webage. The Civic Agenda page allows you to get involved in the Civic Agenda on four fronts: A Dynamic and Open Civic Culture; World Human Resources; 21st Century Jobs and Economic Strategies; and 21st Century Infrastructure. Click on the four photos to explore these aspects of the Civic Agenda.Links and Resources
The Links and Resources page is a regularly updated compilation of links and resources related to each of the ten sectors research in the Indicators Reports.
Searching This Site
The Search feature is located in the upper right corner of the page header. Searches are limited to the content of the Indicators Site. Simply type keywords or phrases into the white text box and click on the "Search this Site" button. The results will be generated on a separate Results page. The Results page offers links to all related content and the date of the original publication. There also is an advanced search tool in the left column.
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