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# Dashboard Introduction and Frequently Asked Questions

              - Dashboard Home
              - Virtual Smithsonian
              - Public Engagement
              - National Collections
              - Research
              - People & Operations
              - One Smithsonian

## Welcome to the Smithsonian Dashboard!

As a public trust, the Smithsonian is committed to using data and empirical evidence to assess its performance. The Dashboard presents metrics that tell the story of this performance across the major programs and functions of the Institution.

Metrics are organized under four major areas where the Smithsonian carries out its mission of "the increase and diffusion of knowledge":
            -  **Research:** Smithsonian researchers contribute to the increase of knowledge in a broad range of science, art, history, and culture fields. 
            -  **National Collections:** Smithsonian collections preserve the national heritage of the United States, the natural heritage of the planet, and aspects of arts and culture from across the globe. 
            -  **Public Engagement:** The Smithsonian engages with the public onsite, online, across the nation, and around the world through compelling exhibitions, events, educational offerings, and media products. 
            -  **Virtual Smithsonian**: The Smithsonian seeks to bring its collections, exhibitions, research, educational resources, and other offerings to every home and classroom in the nation, and to audiences worldwide, through a variety of digital channels. 

The Dashboard also covers two additional areas:
            - People and Operations:  Metrics that detail the behind-the-scenes, mission-support aspects of the Smithsonian such as employees, volunteers, facilities, and finances.
            - One Smithsonian:  Examples of activities, events, and initiatives that bring Smithsonian museums, research centers, and other units together to inform and engage the public, and to address big issues.

To learn more, see the Smithsonian Strategic Plan.

## Navigating the Smithsonian Dashboard

### **Navigation aids**

The navigation bar at the top of each section page will take you to any of the other five sections of the Dashboard, or back to the Dashboard home page.

Smaller navigation bars below the introductory text in each section will take you to the individual performance areas in that section. For example, in the National Collections section, you will find the following navigation bars for that section's four performance areas:

After you have begun to scroll down on any page, clicking on the “up” arrow located at the lower right side of the page will take you back to the top.

### How can I get more information from the displays? 

In many cases, the Dashboard provides more information than initially appears on the screen.  
            - You can link to related Smithsonian websites by clicking on the light blue hyperlinks in the text.
            - Graphics that show overall Smithsonian figures may provide the option of filtering by Smithsonian unit or in other ways. Click the “down” arrow on the right in the field(s) below the graphic title to see drop-down selections.
            - In some performance areas, you can find additional maps, graphics, figures, or other information by clicking on the gray buttons below the main graphic.
            - If you see a “pointing hand” icon when you mouse over an object (number, text, or graphic), this indicates there is more information related to this object. To access this information, simply place your cursor over the object (or click on the object if you are using a mobile device) and it will appear in a text box.

### Accessibility

            - For a list of keystrokes for navigating the graphic visualizations, refer to the following link:  https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/access_keyboard_navigation.htm .

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is a Smithsonian Unit?

For administration purposes, the Smithsonian refers to individual museums, research centers, education centers, and offices as "units." A list of the units that are referenced in this Dashboard, with their acronyms, is provided below.

### What is a Fiscal Year (FY)?

A Fiscal Year (FY) is the 12-month period that defines the U.S. government budget. It runs from October 1 through September 30 and shares the calendar-year number of its last nine months. For example, FY 2020 began on October 1, 2019 and ended on September 30, 2020. FY 2030 will run from October 1, 2029 through September 30, 2030. Most of the "headline numbers" in each Dashboard performance area refer to the most recent Fiscal Year for which data is available.

### What is a Quarter (Q)?

A Quarter (Q) is a three-month period within the Fiscal Year. Thus, the four Quarters of the U.S. government budget are October through December (Q1), January through March (Q2), April through June (Q3), and July through September (Q4). Many of the figures presented in Dashboard graphics are updated quarterly. 

### Other Questions?

Contact us at: dashboard@si.edu

## Major Organizational Divisions

## Other Units

ODT Smithsonian Organization and Audience Research/OCIO

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