Research Data Portal FAQs

Q: How do I access the data portal?

A: You can click the home button on this page, and links to the online portal are located on the Research homepage and Resources for Researchers page. This page shows publicly available research data. To see more detailed data, University of Kentucky faculty and staff with an active linkblue account must complete the "access request form." For more details on how to log in, once you've been given access, see the Tableau Server page.

Q: Do I need to buy a license to Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server, or download any software?

A: No, the university has a server license with Tableau and any linkblue account holder can have access. Tableau Desktop is software for developers only. In order to use the data portal you will only need to complete the request form mentioned above, no need to download or buy anything.

Q: What will change about the reports I currently use on the public website?

A: All of the reports that have been accessed via the public OSPA website will now be available in the online portal for UK faculty and staff. Additionally, the portal will contain more reports than previously available and will have interactive dashboards that are updated monthly.

Q: Will the reports in the data portal match previous monthly/annual reports?

A: For the most part you will see the same data and aggregation of sponsored projects in the new portal. However, due to improved data quality processes, data clean‐up, and improved reporting, some monthly reports may differ from previously provided reports. Some of this has to do with the timing of when reports were previously published, and others are due to changes in when budgets were available. While monthly reports may differ slightly from previous reporting, the underlying aggregated award totals are the same and accurate for colleges and departments.

Q: What if I need help learning how to navigate the data portal?

A: UK Institutional Research and Advanced Analytics offers in‐person Tableau Open Labs for those who want more training on using Tableau Server. There are also resources available online. However, the portal has been designed to be user friendly and should not require training.