AIC user manual
From a question to evidence others can verify.
Follow these ten stages in order on your first project. The floating “Guide me” button also explains the stage you are currently using.
1. Start and choose your path
Create an account or continue as a public visitor. Begin with Countries when you need context, the Data Catalogue when you know the indicator, or the Analysis Lab when you already have a decision question.
Open Countries →2. Select a country
Use the country selector and confirm the country name, indicator year and source shown on every result. AIC covers 54 African countries, but individual indicators can have different years and coverage.
Choose a country →3. Find trustworthy public data
Search the catalogue by topic, country or source. Read the description, geographic coverage, update date and licence before using a dataset. Do not treat two similarly named indicators as identical until their definitions match.
Browse the catalogue →4. Upload protected data
Only upload information you are authorised to use. Remove direct identifiers where possible, choose the correct privacy setting, and keep restricted survey files inside a protected project. Never share a public export containing personal records.
Manage datasets →5. Check data quality
Review columns, types, missing values, units, weights and outliers before analysis. Record any exclusions or transformations. If a required field is missing, stop and correct the input instead of guessing.
Open Analysis Lab →6. Define the question and method
Write a specific question with population, place, period and outcome. Choose an analytical recipe, review its assumptions and parameters, then approve execution. Recipes make repeated work easier to audit.
Start guided analysis →7. Read maps and forecasts
Maps show spatial patterns, not causes. Check geographic level and data year. Forecasts are scenarios based on historical information and assumptions; present uncertainty and avoid describing them as guarantees.
Explore forecasts →8. Interpret and verify
Separate what the data directly shows from your interpretation. Compare results with a credible external source, examine surprising values, and ask a domain expert to review high-stakes conclusions.
Research the evidence →9. Export an evidence record
Export the result together with source, licence, retrieval date, method, parameters, transformations and caveats. This provenance record lets another analyst understand and reproduce the work.
Open your workspace →10. Build a funder-ready portfolio
Organise evidence by programme objective and milestone. Include baseline, indicator definition, analysis history, learning notes and approved outputs. Report changes honestly, including missing evidence and limitations.
Partner with AIC →For analysts
Keep an analysis log. Record why you chose each source, parameter and transformation, not only what you did.
For reviewers
Check provenance, assumptions, reproducibility and disclosure risk before approving an output for publication.
Still unsure at any stage?
Ask the AIC team