1️⃣ Searching, filtering, and sorting content elements

A key aspect of the ITONICS InnovationOS is finding the right content pieces easily. As it serves as your internal intelligence system for everything innovation, find out how to best detect the content you are looking for.

1. Search for Content via the Search Bar

2. Using filters to search the content database by pre-defined values

3. Sorting the content list

Search for Content via the Search Bar

The (Innovation OS internal) search bar is located in nearly all the tools of the InnovationOS (e.g., the Explorer, Radar, Board, Network Graph, List). It compares the search bar entry with the text contained in the titles, summaries, descriptions, and further reading links of elements stored in a particular workspace. The search bar only works within a particular workspace and does not return results from other workspaces.

Please note that no search bar is currently available in Roadmap and when you click Home. The search bar in Insights serves a different purpose and does not look up elements within your custom InnovationOS but in the broader ITONICS Data lake, i.e., elements not yet stored in your custom InnovationOS.

When you open any of the tools, you will find the search bar on the very top left of the respective tool [1]. Start by adding the terms you want to search for and the system will start automatically adjusting the displayed elements based on your search criteria. 

To clear the search, remove your search term or click the x button at the end of the search bar. 

The results of your search can be influenced by how you type in your search query. In general, search terms are not case sensitive: "ITONICS"="Itonics"="itonics", yet the use of Boolean operators is, i.e., it needs to be "OR" instead of "or".

To narrow down/specify results

  • Use the Boolean Operator AND, e.g., eco AND green (only returns items that contain both words)
  • Exclude terms by using the Boolean Operator NO, e.g., eco NOT green (returns items which include eco but not green)
  • Specify search terms with quotation marks "[text]", e.g., (multi OR Omni) AND "channel" (returns results that must include "channel" in the text fields and either "multi" or "omni") or "eco green", only returns items that contain both words.
  • Searching within specific fields using "field:<term>", e.g., "title:car OR tags:automotive" (results in showing items that contain "car" in the title or have a tag called "automotive". Other possible field keywords are:"abstract:<term>" and "description:<term>". Please do not add blank spaces between colon and search term)

To widen search results

  • Use the Boolean Operator OR, e.g., eco OR green (returns items that contain either of the words "eco" or "green"). The same applies when using a Whitespace between your search terms, e.g., eco green (returns items that contain either eco OR green)
  • Use a Wildcard search at the end of a search term "*", e.g., block* (returns results that include text, such as "block", "blocks,", "blockers", "blockchain", and alike)
  • Fuzzy search: "~", e.g., foam~ (returns results with "foam", "roam" or "foams")

Using filters to search the content database by pre-defined values

If you want to search the database by specific pre-defined values, you can use the filter options at the top right corner [2]. Click on "Filter" and a modal will open to apply your filter criteria. Left to "Filter", the currently active filters are shown [3]. The number indicates how many filters per type are currently applied, e.g., 2 value filters for the type technology and 1 value filter for the type trend in the image below and a general filter content status = published (instead of draft or archived). When you hover over the entries, an "X" will appear, providing you with a quick option to delete the filters.

To close the filter section, use the arrow pointing to the right next to the name "Filter".

Please note that

  • no filter option is currently available in Roadmap.
  • The filters in Insights serve a different purpose and do not filter for the elements within your custom InnovationOS but in the broader ITONICS Data Lake, i.e., elements not yet stored in your custom InnovationOS.
  • The filter only works within a particular workspace and does not return results from other workspaces.

The modal contains the following options: 

Adding/deleting Global Filters [4]

Global filters are metadata filters that allow you to filter by content publication characteristics, i.e., 

  • Created By and Updated by: Allows to filter by the user(s) who created or did the last update on content elements (multi-select and OR combination)
  • Updated Date and Created Date: Allows to filter for a timeframe within which content elements have been created or updated lastly (learn what is taken into account in this article, i.e., changes to the title, abstract, text field, or user search field)
  • Watched Elements Only: Allows to filter for content that you watch, i.e., where you have subscribed to get email notifications once an update was made
  • Tags: Allows to filter for content elements sharing a particular (free-form) tag
  • Related To: Allowing you to show only content elements where:
    • a relation to another element exists ("relation is", multi-select and OR combination),
    • no relations with an existing element exist ("relation is not", multi-select and OR combination), or
    • no relationship is set at all ("relation is empty")

By hovering over each global filter option, you will find a blue x icon to reset a specific filter [4]. You can also reset a combination of different filters by clicking the blue reset name at the end of the filter modal [7].

Adding/deleting Type Filters [5]

Type filters define the content/element types that you want to filter for, for instance, show me all trends and technologies. To add a type filter, click on the plus icon and select the types from the list of element types active in your workspace (learn more about the element type configuration options in this article)

Once you have selected one or multiple types, the selected types appear below the add type action. The number of activated types is shown as a number, and the selected types are also shown on top, left to the name "Filter".

By hovering over each global filter option, you will find a blue x icon to reset a specific filter. You can also reset a combination of different filters by clicking the blue reset name at the end of the filter modal [7].

Adding/deleting Type-specific Value Filters [6]

Once you have selected a type, you will find a new option to add type-specific value filters. 

Please note that...

  • If multiple types are activated, you can switch between the type-specific value filters by clicking on the name of the type in the "Add Type-Section". The active type is highlighted in a darker blue background color.
  • For any property, you have the option to use three different operators, i.e., "is = matches values selected", "is not = matches all values except the selected", or "is empty, or = showing all content elements where no value of the property was yet added"

Click on the "+ Add" option and select the properties that you want to filter for more specifically. The values for this specific filter can be set in a new selection menu.

By hovering over each global filter option, you will find a blue x icon to reset a specific filter. You can also reset a combination of different filters by clicking the blue reset name at the end of the filter modal [7].

Saving a filter/view [8]

Once you have applied your filter, you can save this filter setting for easier recall later. Left to the uncollapsed filter modal, you will find the save button [8]. If the option "save" is not greyed out, you can use this button to update and overwrite an already saved filter/view.

Or, when clicking on the arrow, you will find the option to save as new...
If you choose this option, you will be asked to enter a name for your saved view/filter. You can also decide whether it should be shared with everyone or whether you want to keep it private for your own view. 

In both cases, the newly saved view/filter is added to the main navigation to the left [11] as an entry and as an entry at the upper left [10] of the respective tool.

Sorting in the Explorer and in Lists

When you are in the Explorer, you have one more option to navigate your content. You can change the sorting logic and how the content elements are displayed.

You can either change the sorting logic by switching between the title (alphabetical sorting), the last update date, or the create date [10]. You can also define whether the list should be sorted A-Z or Z-A for the title sorting. The same applies to the date options. To change this logic, change from descending (e.g., A-Z) to ascending (Z-A) or vice versa.

Sorting the content element list

You also have the option to change the view from the Grid view (which displays the element cards with its picture) to a list view.

Please note that when using a search request, a fourth sorting option appears: Relevance.

When you are in Lists, you can also sort your list by certain attributes. You can sort columns in ascending or descending order, as well as alphabetically. Find the field you want to sort by and hover over the column header. A sort icon will appear. Click on the sort icon once to sort the List. Clicking twice will sort the List in the opposite order. At present, you can sort by element title, date fields, number fields, ratings, and numeric ratings. 

To read more about how you can engage with the content assets in your InnovationOS, we recommend reading those articles:

  • 1️⃣ Adding content elements
  • 2️⃣ The content cards: Viewing, rating, watching, sharing, and commenting on content
  • 3️⃣ Signals and Insights: Finding more content in the ITONICS Data Lake