In our last blog post, we discussed cases when a dashboard might be a good fit for your organization. This time, we’ll take a look at when a dashboard might not be the best choice.

When to Avoid a Dashboard

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

Data Privacy Concerns

If you have sensitive data and controlling access to that data is paramount, a dashboard may not be ideal for your organization. Dashboards, especially ones with significant access to data, should be properly secured behind a paywall, logins, or other security. If this cannot be done, or done well, a dashboard may not be a great fit for sharing information

Small Sample Sizes

If your research has a small sample size, filtering in a dashboard should be limited.

First, interpreting results based on small sample sizes could be misleading. The margin of error may be so significant that the takeaway itself could be wrong.

Second, if the sample size gets too small as a user is allowed to filter the data, this could lead to survey respondents being identified. For example, if your organization runs site-based programs, being able to narrow results down to a specific site, a specific age, and/or a specific race/ethnicity, could likely lead to users learning how an individual answered the survey questions, and possibly identifying that individual.

While there are safeguards against this (rules can be put in place to prevent showing outputs when the sample size gets too small), it may be best to avoid a dashboard altogether if your sample sizes are regularly too small to make good use of the filters provided in a dashboard.

Results Need Interpretation

Finally, if your research requires narrative and explanation in order to prevent misinterpretation of the data, it may be best to avoid a dashboard. While a dashboard can include some narrative, that narrative may not update based on filters selected, leading the user to interpret the findings on their own. If you are worried about findings being misinterpreted by your staff, your members, or any other audience, a static report with detailed narrative may be the way to go.

There are many other reasons why a dashboard might or might not be a good fit for your organization, and we’re around to answer any questions you may have. If you’re ready to chat about the possibility of a dashboard, contact us here.