- I can see a custom field in our Contacts object when I acess it via my account within R studios (statistics language / package accessing via API calls directly querying the object).
- I cannot see that same field field, again authenticating via my account from within in Tableau (another BI package which I am to understand accesses via API calls that are perhaps querying reports somehow).

When I ask our SalesForce 'admin' to give me permission to these fields I cannot access within Tableau he asks what 'report type' I am using as he only thinks in terms of the SF front end and I believe he is referring to what I consider the JOIN options one gets when creating a simple report in the SF web GUI, e.g. 'contacts', 'contacts and accounts', 'contacts and leads' etc.

- I have looked through my profile definition, specifically at the field security and there is only 'view' or 'edit', there is nothing that says "Visible within reports that are of type: 'contacts with tasks'". Is that a thing? Is there such articulte security permissions somewhere? If not can anyone guess what the Admin might be changing each time?

I have acessed our SF as an admin but following my nose is not revealing where this extra permission could be that he is purportedly changing each time I ask for permission to see a field. Is there a permission that for somehow tied to the 'type of report' (or JOIN condition as I think of it). I have looked at field level permissions, roles, profiles, the objects themselves, nothing seems to somehow tie my user, that field and the 'type of report' (and ultimately deny me permission!)

Thanks for any help anyone can give me!