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.

New ESDS searchable interface opens library of case studies

Looking for ideas for how to use ESDS data?

Every day, data from the Economic and Social Data Service are used in leading-edge research and in university courses throughout the UK and beyond. Now, a new interface makes it easy to search and browse a growing library of ESDS case studies at the click of a mouse – a benefit to researchers, teachers, and others looking for ideas and collaborators. Each case study demonstrates how the data are being used, along with links to related resources and articles.

There are currently 62 case studies in the growing library, including examples from teaching modules to published research to ideas for future research in key areas. Users can browse the library using a variety of filters – for example topic, data type, and course type and level.  In this way, researchers can quickly find case studies of published research that uses longitudinal datasets to study health-related issues. Similarly, university teachers can find examples of how qualitative data are used to teach statistical methods to undergraduate students. There’s also a search function that allows users to find case studies by keyword, author, date, or any other criteria. 

The searchable interface is a pioneering project powered by Simile Exhibit, an open source application using semantic web technology. The interface includes a link to encourage users to share their feedback; comments will be used to improve both the case study interface and the application.

Searchable library of case studies

Simile Exhibit