How To Use the Online FICM

Welcome to the online version of the 2006 Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual (FICM). This online version has exactly the same content as the published document, but is searchable and more easily navigated. The following features are available to help you find the information you need.

FICM Overview and How to Use

Click on “FICM Overview” or “How to Use” links from the left-hand menu to see a useful overview of the FICM content or how to use this online version of the FICM.

Click on the “Table of Contents” link from the left-hand menu. This will display “links for the major sections of the manual (Foreword, Acknowledgments, National Working Group on Postsecondary Facilities, and Introduction, etc.). Some of the sections are preceded by a “+” sign. Clicking on the "+" sign next to any major section will expand the section and allow you to view a detailed list of subsections. Clicking on a colored text link will take you to the first page of the section or subsection or to a particular figure or table.

Left-hand Menu Table of Contents

This simplified version of the Table of Contents appears on the left-hand side of the screen when you are reading any section or figure in the FICM document. It does not list tables or figures; only chapters, sections, and subsections. Therefore, you can switch to another section of the FICM from any other location within the document without first returning to the main Table of Contents.

Table of Contents Search

Click "Search" on the left-hand menu to go to the Search page. You can also locate information in the FICM by conducting a Table of Contents search or a Keyword Search. The Table of Contents Search allows you to search the titles of a chapter, section, or subsection for a particular word. It is a quick way to find a subject of interest. The Table of Contents Search is the first search entry on the left side of the page. Just enter a word you think would be in the title of a chapter or section, and click the Search button. This search will generate a list of all section titles that contain that word.

Keyword Search

Certain keywords and phrases have been connected to the various chapters, sections, tables, figures, and appendixes of the FICM manual. For example, section 6.2.1 is associated with the phrase "process concepts." If you type this phrase or the words “process” or “concepts” into the keyword search on the right side of the Search page and click the "Search" button, a link to section 6.2.1 will appear. If you do not know which keyword to use, you can locate it by using the “First Letter Search,” which appears just below the keyword search or you can search the full list of keywords that can be viewed by clicking on "Show All Keywords". The “First Letter Search” will generate a list of keywords that start with the letter you chose. From the list of keywords, you can click on the keyword of your choice and go to the relevant chapter, section, table, figure, or appendix.

Linked Glossary

Click on “Glossary” on the left-hand menu, then click the alphabetic links to find the term you are looking for.

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