Developing a data discovery and sharing infrastructure for quantitative and qualitative socio-economic data via the WISERD GeoPortal

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The Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) was established in 2008 with the aim of boosting the strength of social science research in Wales. The concept behind WISERD was to create a large group of researchers spread throughout the five main universities in Wales with the aim of drawing on collaborative inter-institutional working and wide-ranging expertise to improve the sustainability of social science research in Wales, and to produce major innovations in methods of conducting research.One of the key parts of WISERD's research agenda concerns data, which is a hugely important resource for social science research projects. WISERD recognises that, while there are a large and diverse number of datasets in Wales (and the UK) that are potentially available to social scientists, economists and analysts, there is no effective mechanism for discovering these data. As a result, potentially useful data that has been collected (often at great expense) are often under-used or not used at all for research and analysis. Given the current economic climate, it is crucial that the value of the data held in various repositories throughout Wales is optimised. In response to this, WISERD is developing computer software that will help researchers discover socio-economic research data for Wales and beyond, and in doing so encourage the re-use of existing data and help stimulate collaborative research between researchers. The software that WISERD are developing is called the 'WISERD GeoPortal' - 'Geo' because the datasets that are contained in its database can be linked to real-world locations and can be search for using a map, and 'Portal' since the interface to the software takes the form of a web portal/web site. At the heart of the WISERD GeoPortal is a large database of socio-economic datasets that have been built-up over the past three years. The database contains detailed information, or 'meta-data', describing the various datasets that exist for Wales, including government surveys, administrative data such as school records; unofficial 'grey' data such as local authority surveys and data collected as part of academic research. The web interface of the WISERD GeoPortal provides access, via a map or text search, to this 'meta-database' allowing researchers to discover what data is 'out-there' and supplying them with a wealth of information about data resources, including details on how to access their source data.This ESRC Follow-on Fund application is seeking an investment to continue the development of the WISERD Geoportal to enable it to be made more widely available to researchers and analysts in Wales and UK, and to investigate the potential for long-term development and funding opportunities. WISERD believe that the GeoPortal has the potential to become a major resource for social science research and this proposed project will aim to ensure, via a set of clearly defined objectives, that this potential is realised.The objectives of this next phase of GeoPortal development are to i) enhance the current content and functionality of the geoportal (it is still in its 'prototype' stages of development) by continuing technical development while working closely with partners and members of the potential user base; ii) establish it as an indispensible tool for researchers and analysts by creating user panels and technical working groups and engaging in training, 'marketing' and GeoPortal dissemination activities; iii) explore further methodological and technical enhancements including exchanging data with other data repositories via the Internet and improving the computing infrastructure of the Geoportal in order to improve its stability and performance; iv) develop a business plan to ensure that development of the GeoPortal is sustained into the future; v) evaluate the impact of the GeoPortal as it is rolled-out amongst end users and stakeholders.