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02. Getting Started

Updated 7/16/2026

Overview

Welcome to the Sequoia Forest Tool, a research visualization tool for creating forest plots from CSV data.

The Sequoia Forest Tool generates forest plots from pre-computed summary statistics supplied as a CSV file. All effect estimates, confidence intervals, and p-values are taken from the input file as provided.

SCREENSHOT - The Sequoia Forest Tool, shown with a finished example forest plot loaded.

Input

  • Accepts a single CSV file with a header row and any column names.
  • Column names are mapped to plot fields after upload; no fixed schema is required.
  • All rows in the file are loaded; row filtering is not available.

Output

  • Exportable as image file (SVG/PNG).
  • Savable as a project file preserving all configuration.

Tool sections

SectionFunctionArticle
File UploadLoad CSV file02
Map Data ColumnsAssign CSV columns to plot fields03
Grouping & SelectionY-axis label, grouping variable, multi-level sort04
Visible ColumnsTabular data columns displayed alongside the plot05
Plot AnnotationsTitle, description, axis labels06
Plot LegendsSignificance legend, legend items and layout07
Theme & StylingColors, fonts, markers, axis visibility08
Canvas & DisplaySpacing, zoom, row height, padding09

Basic Workflow

To create a forest plot:

  1. Upload a CSV file.
  2. Map the required data columns.
  3. Select the Y-axis label column.
  4. Choose the X-axis mode.
  5. Configure grouping, sorting, and visible columns.
  6. Add plot title, annotations, and legends.
  7. Customize the theme and canvas.
  8. Generate and review the forest plot.
  9. Save the project if needed.
Refer step-by-step guide with worked example for detailed version.

Tips

  • Always check your CSV file before uploading.
  • Make sure numeric fields contain valid numbers.
  • Use grouping when the dataset has many rows.
  • Save your project before closing the browser.