Data Exploration - Applying Filters

The Data Exploration Tool is the INCLUDE Data Hub's visual and intuitive tool for browsing available datasets, building virtual cohorts of participants, and identifying data files for analysis.

Filters in the Data Exploration Tool

When you first load the Data Exploration tool, the full contents of the INCLUDE Data Hub are summarized for you. As you use the tool to build your query, the number of participants, biospecimens, and data files is progressively narrowed down to just those you wish to analyze.

Imagine the Data Exploration Tool as a large funnel. At the top of the funnel, its widest part, the full collection of INCLUDE data is represented. Applying filters narrows this collection to more specific subsets, for example just participants that are female, just specimens that are white blood cells, or just files that are genome alignments. Each of these narrows down the funnel to its focused bottom - the subset of INCLUDE data that is relevant to your research question.

The Data Exploration Tool allows users to build very specific queries by applying multiple filters simultaneously, for example to find the genomic alignments that have been derived from white blood cells from female participants.

Users can build specific queries by applying filters one of two ways.

Applying Filters Using the Filter Column

The left-most column on the Data Exploration Tool is the Filter Column. Users can select filters from this column to apply to the dataset represented in the rest of the window. Filters are organized into three broad categories

• Participant Filters, including study, demographic, and diagnostic filters
• Biospecimen Filters, including sample type and availability filters
• Data File Filters, including data category and file format filters

Select a filter by choosing one from the right column. It will appear in the filter box in the center of the screen. You'll notice that the number of participants will be updated to reflect this filter.

Applying Filters Using the Summary Tab

The same filters can also see applied by using the Summary Tab of the Data Exploration Tool. The Summary Tab displays a graphical representation of summary statistics about the cohort that is currently selected. By finding the appropriate demographic, phenotype, or data type and selecting it, a filter will be applied for just that characteristic.

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A note about the Summary Tab

Note that the graphs in the Summary Tab update every time a new filter is applied to the cohort, regardless of how the filter was applied.

Applying Multiple Filters

Applying a second filter will add it to the existing query, narrowing the cohort even further. For example, to select "female participants with genomic data available," first choose a filter for Sex = Female and then choose a filter for Data Category = Genomic.

Naming, Saving, and Reopening Filters

Once you have a filter created you wish to save, you can give it a name to help identify it in the future. Do this by selecting the pencil icon at the top of the page.

Once your filter has a name, it is automatically saved for you. You can pull up this same filter again using the My Filters button in the top right of the Data Exploration Tool, or by selecting it on the Data Hub Dashboard page.