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How to Use HEDS -- First Time User

INTRODUCTION

The Human Exposure Database System (HEDS) enables you to view and download human exposure study information. This document provides a brief tutorial that will acquaint you with the HEDS system. It will show you how to navigate through the HEDS system and perform the basic HEDS functions of finding, viewing, and downloading information for a data set or a document.

It is recommended that you print this document so you can easily refer to it as you work through the tutorial.

Note: In this document, links are indicated as underlined text. They are not "live" links and cannot be accessed if you read the document online.

HEDS uses the EPA's Environmental Information Management System (EIMS) as its metadata repository. Therefore, as you go through this tutorial you will see pages from both systems.

The tutorial consists of two main lessons. In Lesson 1 you will learn how to find information. In Lesson 2 you will learn how to browse and download the information you have found.

DISCLAIMER

Product and corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of commercial companies and are used only for explanation and to the owners' benefit, without intent to infringe. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

LESSON 1--FINDING INFORMATION

Lesson 1, Part 1--Finding Information Overviews

Step 1

On the HEDS Home Page, in the navigation bar, click the HEDS Studies link. The HEDS Studies page appears. The HEDS Studies page includes links for HEDS projects and HEDS studies.

Step 2

Click the NHEXAS PHASE I REGION 5 STUDY link. The HEDS Study Information Directory page appears. The HEDS Study Information Directory page provides three links:

Below the links are two radio buttons (circles) and a field (a blank space) for entering information. You will be shown how to use the buttons and field after the links have been demonstrated.

The Study Metadata Link

Step 3

On the Study Information Directory page, click on the Study Metadata link. The EIMS Summary page for the study appears.

Step 4

Click Back (on your Internet browser) to return to the HEDS Study Information Directory page.

The List of Data Sets Link

Step 5

On the Study Information Directory page, click on the List of Data Sets link. The EIMS Related Data Sets page appears displaying a list of data sets related to the active study. Note that the number associated with each Related Entry ID is a link.

Step 6

Click on the link for Entry ID 17419 ("NHEXAS Phase I Region 5 Study--Descriptive Questionnaire Data"). The EIMS Summary page for Entry ID 17419 appears. Make note of this number.

Step 7

Click Back twice to return to the Related Data Sets page. Click Back once more to return to the Study Information Directory page.

The List of Documents Link

Step 8

On the Study Information Directory page, click on the List of Documents link. The EIMS Related Documents page appears displaying a list of documents related to the active study. Note that the number associated with each Related Entry ID is a link.

Step 9

Click on the link for Entry ID 16599 ("NHEXAS Phase I Region 5 Study--Standard Operating Procedure for Preparation of a Standard Operating Procedure"). The EIMS Summary page for Entry ID 16599 appears. Make note of this number.

Step 10

Click Back twice to return to the Related Documents page. Click Back once more to return to the Study Information Directory page.

Lesson 1, Part 2--Going Directly to a Known Document or Data Set

If you have previously looked up a data set or a document and made note of its number (as you did in steps 6 and 9), you can go back to it again faster using the radio buttons (circles) and entry field at the bottom of the Study Information Directory page.

Step 11

To retrieve a document with a known Entry ID number, on the Study Information Directory page, click in the circle for Download Document. In the field, enter 16599. (This is the document Entry ID number you made note of previously.) Click Submit. The EIMS Downloads page appears.

Step 12

To retrieve a data set with a known Entry ID number, on the Study Information Directory page, click in the circle for Download Data Set. In the field, enter 17419. (This is the data set Entry ID number you made note of previously.) Click Submit. The Download Complete Data Set page appears.

In Lesson 1 you learned how to find HEDS information and what HEDS information is available in EIMS. In Lesson 2 you will learn how to browse and download the information you have found.



LESSON 2--BROWSING AND DOWNLOADING INFORMATION

Lesson 1 brought you to the point where you are ready to download or browse the HEDS information you have found. In Lesson 2 you will learn how to browse and download that information.

The Download Complete Data Set page (from Step 12, above), under the heading Download and Browse Options, provides the following links:

Note also that this page has a different navigation bar. In this navigation bar, under the Complete Data Set heading, the Download link brings up the Download Complete Data Set page. Under Browse, the links perform the same functions as the similarly named links on the main part of the page. As you gain familiarity with HEDS, you can decide on your preferred location for clicking links.

The links under Customized Data Sets are covered in a separate document, to which you will be directed at the conclusion of this tutorial.

Lesson 2, Part 1--Looking at a Data Set, Code Set, and Data Dictionary

Before you download any data, you may want to look at it. A complete data set package includes a data set, a code set, and a data dictionary. Each of these may be browsed individually.

The Browse Complete Data Set Link

Step 13

To look at the data set, in the main window click Browse Complete Data Set, or, in the navigation bar under Browse, click Data Set. The Browse Complete Data Set page appears.

The Browse Complete Code Set Link

The code set contains information necessary to understand the numeric values used in the data set.

Step 14

To look at the code set, in the main window click Browse Complete Code Set, or, in the navigation bar under Browse, click Code Set. The Browse Complete Code Set page appears.

The Browse Complete Data Dictionary Link

Step 15

To look at the data dictionary, in the main window click Browse Complete Data Dictionary, or, in the navigation bar under Browse, click Data Dictionary. The Browse Complete Data Dictionary page appears.

Lesson 2, Part 2--Downloading a Complete Data Set Package

Remember that a data set package includes a data set, a code set, and a data dictionary. All of these will be in the download package.

You can download a data set by two methods, starting either from HEDS or from EIMS. If you know the Entry ID number, you can download a data set from within HEDS using Method 1, below. If you don't know the Entry ID number, you can download a data set from EIMS using Method 2, below.

Method 1--Starting from HEDS with a Known Entry ID Number

Step 16

Scroll to the top of the page on your screen. If you do not have the Download Complete Data Set page for Entry ID 17419 on your screen, go back to Step 12, above, and bring up that page. Then return to this step.

The Download Complete Data Set page, under Download and Browse Options, provides links allowing you to download HEDS data to your own computer, where you can import the data into your own spreadsheet, database, or statistical analysis software for further viewing and analysis. Two formats are available, dBase IV and ASCII. Each of these format choices appears as a link on your screen.

Note that the download package is a zipped file that must be unzipped for use. If you do not have zip software, information on how to obtain it at no cost is available at the Related Web Sites link or the Additional Software link on the HEDS Home Page.

The Download Zipped Package in dBase IV Format Link

Step 17

On the Download Complete Data Set page, click Download Zipped Package in dBase IV Format. This link opens a dialog box that enables you to save the file in a location of your choice. If you were going to save the file, you would follow the prompts in the dialog box. For now, close the dialog box and return to the tutorial.

The Download Zipped Package in ASCII Format Link

Step 18

On the Download Complete Data Set page, click Download Zipped Package in ASCII Format. This link opens a dialog box that enables you to save the file in a location of your choice. If you were going to save the file, you would follow the prompts in the dialog box. For now, close the dialog box and return to the tutorial.

For more-detailed information on downloading data sets, it is recommended that you consult the Information on Downloads section in the "How to Use HEDS--Reference" document. To access this document, on the HEDS Home Page under How to Use in the navigation bar, click Reference, or in the page footer click Help.

Method 2--From EIMS

If you do not know the Entry ID number, you can download a data set starting at the EIMS Related Data Sets page.

Step 19

Follow the instructions above under Step 5 and bring up the Related Data Sets page. From the Related Data Sets page, click on the link for the desired data set (e.g., Entry ID number 17419) to get to the Summary page for that data set. From the Summary page, in the navigation bar, click Downloads. The EIMS Downloads page appears.

Step 20

To download the data set, under the item on the Downloads page marked Access Data Set, click the View/Download File button. The HEDS Download Complete Data Set page appears. Proceed as above, under Downloading a Data Set--Method 1 (Steps 17 or 18).

Lesson 2, Part 3--Downloading a Document

You can also download a document by two methods, starting either from HEDS or from EIMS. If you know the Entry ID number, you can download a document from within HEDS using Method 1, below. If you don't know the Entry ID number, you can download a document from EIMS using Method 2, below.

Method 1--Starting from HEDS with a Known Entry ID Number

Step 21

Go back to Step 11, above, and bring up the EIMS Downloads page for Entry ID 16599. Then return to this step.

Step 22

To download the document, under the item on the Downloads page marked Complete Document, click the View/Download File button. A dialog box appears asking what you want to do with the file. Options may include opening (viewing) the file and saving it to disk. If you were going to view or save the file, you would follow the prompts in the dialog box. For now, close the dialog box and return to the tutorial.

Method 2--From EIMS

If you do not know the Entry ID number, you can download a document starting at the EIMS Related Documents page.

Step 23

Follow the instructions above under Step 9 and bring up the Related Documents page. From the Related Documents page, click on the link for the desired document, (e.g., Entry ID number 16599) to get to the Summary page for that document. From the Summary page, in the navigation bar, click Downloads. The EIMS Downloads page appears.

Step 24

To download the document, under the item on the Downloads page marked Complete Document, click the View/Download File button. A dialog box appears asking what you want to do with the file. Options may include opening (viewing) the file and saving it to disk. If you were going to view or save the file, you would follow the prompts in the dialog box. For now, close the dialog box and return to the tutorial.

CONCLUSION

The above instructions will help you get started with HEDS. More-detailed procedures, including instructions for customizing data sets for download, are in the document "How to Use HEDS--Reference." The "How to Use HEDS--Reference" document also contains detailed information on data sets, code sets, and data dictionaries. To see this document, on the HEDS Home Page under How to Use in the navigation bar, click Reference, or in the page footer click Help.

Office of Research & Development | National Exposure Research Laboratory
Send questions or comments to Carry Croghan,
Webmaster at Croghan.Carry@epa.gov

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