A new way to search for data: Discovery is released in beta

Visitors to the ESDS website will now find a new way to search and browse for data collections and other materials.

Discovery, a new faceted search and browse interface, has been released in beta form so it can be improved and refined with user interaction and feedback. It will run alongside the existing Data Catalogue search while it is still in beta; links to Discovery can be found from the Data Catalogue.

The aim of Discovery is to make data discovery easier and more streamlined for all users of the new UK Data Service. Discovery expands not only the ways in which users can search, but also the types of things that they can search for.

It offers visitors the chance to search and browse for a variety of data-related materials:

·         data collections disseminated via the UK Data Service
·         the contents of ESRC Data Store
·         case studies showing how the data have been used
·         support guides showing how to use the data
·         publications and outputs associated with the data

Discovery allows users to browse using filters and offers some new and interesting functions, such as suggestions of other data collections that may be of interest and the ability to move from related data to case studies and support guides. Of course, it is still possible to search in more traditional ways as well.

 

Discovery is still in development and UKDS are very keen to improve it. All comments on any aspect of its functionality or content will be warmly welcomed. Please do tell them what you think, either by email to comms@data-archive.ac.uk or using the feedback form on the Discovery page.

UK Data Service Discovery - beta:  http://beta-discovery.data-service.ac.uk/

ESDS Case Studies linked to Catalogue

The ESDS' library of 80 case studies is now linked to the data collections in the ESDS catalogue.

This means that when you search for a specific dataset, you will see case studies based on that data automatically appear on the right side of the catalogue record. For an  example, see this catalogue page for the Edwardians. You will also see relevant case studies appear on the ESDS major studies pages e.g. British Social Attitudes Survey list of datasets.

Related case studies will also appear on the right side of the web pages for ESDS Longitudinal datasets. For example, see the guide to the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

The entire library of ESDS case studies is also available in an easy-to-use faceted search interface, developed using Simile Exhibit, an open source application that harnesses the power of semantic web technology.