In the CGIAR ecosystem, an indicator is a standardized unit of measurement that classifies what kind of research outcome a result represents. Every result in Alliance Research Indicators is mapped to exactly one indicator before any metadata is captured. This mapping is not cosmetic — the indicator determines which metadata tab fields are required, how the result appears in aggregate dashboards, and which controlled-vocabulary lists are relevant for that result type. The indicator framework is the backbone that makes results comparable across projects, centers, and platforms.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/AllianceBioversityCIAT/alliance-research-indicators-client/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
What is an indicator type?
Indicators are grouped into indicator types. Each type represents a broad category of research outcome. The API exposes these through theGET /indicator-types endpoint, which returns the IndicatorTypes structure — each type has an indicator_type_id (1 through 5), a name, a description, and a long_description, plus the list of specific indicators that belong to it.
The five indicator types are:
- Type 1
- Type 2
- Type 3
- Type 4
- Type 5
Outcome Impact Case Reports (OICRs)Narrative records that document a significant change in policy, practice, or behavior that the Alliance contributed to. OICRs require the OICR details tab to be fully completed — including the change story, the affected stakeholders, the contribution pathway, and the significance evidence. OICR results also support a dedicated download workflow for template-based reporting.
How an indicator determines required metadata
When a researcher selects an indicator during result creation, the application uses the indicator’sindicator_type_id to configure which tabs contain required fields. This happens at the form level: tab completeness checks and pre-submission validation are both gated by the indicator type. The general information, alliance alignment, partners, evidence, and geographic scope tabs are baseline requirements for all indicator types. The type-specific tabs (OICR details, innovation details, policy change, capacity sharing, IP rights) are activated based on the mapped type.
Changing the indicator after metadata has been entered is possible in draft state, but it may deactivate previously required tabs and activate new ones. Any data already entered in deactivated tabs is preserved server-side but is not surfaced in the UI until that tab type is active again.
Browsing the indicator catalog
Two routes in the application are dedicated to exploring indicators:| Route | Purpose |
|---|---|
/indicator/:id | Detail view for a specific indicator — shows the full description, example results linked to that indicator, and the metadata tab requirements it activates. |
/about-indicators | Educational overview of the full indicator framework — all five types, their purposes, and how to choose the right indicator for a result. |
Creating results
How to select an indicator and start filling metadata tabs when creating a new result.
Result metadata tabs
Understand which metadata tabs each indicator type activates and what fields they contain.