Model for Data Content - External data source

This is a model for a Mass.gov page that features links to offsite data platforms. Use the model to guide your own data content publishing.

This model demonstrates how MA government organizations should design pages that link to state data that is hosted outside of Mass.gov (that is, to a data platform or a data site). It provides both a structure you should follow and best practices on each page element. In some cases, you may be able to embed your content on a Mass.gov page instead. However, if this makes for a poor user experience, then use this template to create a "front door" for your data instead. If you have questions, please contact the Massachusetts Data Office by scheduling office hours.

Title: The title should summarize the purpose of the page as succinctly as possible using words your audience will know. It should be unique among Mass.gov pages. Keep in mind that most people find your content from search engines. They might see this page’s title without visiting your other pages. 

Subheader (or “Short Description” in the CMS): Short descriptions should complement titles. If a title summarizes what’s on the page, a short description provides more description of what the page is for and what you can use it to do. Keep them to 1-2 sentences.

Table of contents: A table of contents will automatically appear if there are 3 or more sections on your page. 

Overview

The overview should be a brief paragraph introducing the topic of the data and the hosting platform on which the data is located. Although there is a dedicated section within the CMS for an overview, you should create your own the way this model does by adding a new heading and section content. This will allow your overview to appear after the table of contents.

If your data is hosted in a business intelligence or mapping tool, try embedding it on a mass.gov page using an iframe or Tableau embed. .gov sites have better search engine rankings than non-.gov sites, and updating content on Mass.gov is often easier than updating sites that require submitting a request to a vendor.

Adding contact information to your data content

Use the contact information template to provide an email for users to get in touch with your data owners. Note that on this Mass.gov content type, you'll find contact information both at the bottom and in the top right.

You may need to create a new contact information template that differs from the normal one you provide on non-data pages. Once created, you can insert it onto any page that contains data. It is possible to include both sets of contact information if you need to. 

We strongly recommend that questions about data go to a shared mailbox (e.g. [e-mail]) rather than a specific person’s email. That way, if your data owner moves to a different role or organization, you don’t need to update your web content. Alternatively, your organization needs to be vigilant about updating contact information when your staffing changes. Either way, you or someone on your team should be accountable for receiving and responding to user feedback and questions. 

The external site or platform

The external data source should be featured in this section. In some cases, the external platform may not provide enough context about the data to fully explain its purpose, or how to navigate the data. This can lead to users having difficulty with properly accessing the data or fully understanding it. You should utilize this part of the model to provide any background information to assist users in better understanding the data.

Note: Some CMS authors might not have access to use the callout link feature, as shown below. If you do not have this capability, you can still use a rich text field to link users to the external page.

Explore chronic disease hospitalization data 

About the data

Include a section like this one to provide more details about your data. Describing key takeaways, data collection methods, and limitations and gaps in the data will help users in understanding the data and how the data may be used.

Data dictionary

Your data content should include a data dictionary that lists the meaning and types of data in each field. Ideally, the data dictionary should be located on the website on which the data is published. You can do this in HTML, in a downloadable file, or both. However, if the external platform that is hosting the data does not already have a data dictionary available for users, you must add one to the Mass.gov page.

A good data dictionary must include:

• Definitions - Plain language descriptions of each variable, dimension, or metric
• Period - The date ranges covered by the data
• Publishing organization - The organization responsible for collecting and updating the data

Additional information to include about your data

Consider including any of the following sections if they are relevant:

• Provide a detailed summary of the data (that is, elaborate on your overview)
• State major takeaways
• State any limitations of the data if applicable