GESIS Labs

da|ra

Description

da|ra is the registration agency for social science and economic data jointly run by GESIS and ZBW.
In keeping with the ideals of good scientific practice there is a demand for open access to existing primary data so as to not only have the final research results but also be able to reconstruct the entire research process. GESIS and ZBW therefore offer a registration service for social and economic research data. This infrastructure lays the foundation for long-term, persistent identification, storage, localization and reliable citation of research data. The service began in 2010 as a GESIS pilot project for developing and testing the technical and organizational concept of DOI-registration. This service has been available online as of July 23rd, 2010 and by the end of that year the entire GESIS data archive had been registered. Since 2011 (extension phase) the registration service has been available for other research data centers and data producers. In cooperation with the German National Library of Economics,
Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (ZBW) the service was extended to economic data in this phase. During the establishing phase (2013-2014) the focus was on developing value-added services.

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Demonstrator

https://labs.da-ra.de

Live System

https://www.da-ra.de

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework: Groovy Server Pages (GSP), Kirby
• Backend Services:
  • MySQL
• Search Technology: Solr
• Programming language: Java
• Java Framework: Grails
• Build-Management-Tool: Gradle
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition
• Deployment: Manual

Team

GesisDataSearch

Description

The project da|raSearchNet aimed at establishing an integrated search network for social and economic research data that enables users to search up-to-date references of data holdings on an international basis and in a comfortable way. The holistic project aims at developing an integrated service for data providers as well as secondary data users by focusing on the development of co-operations, the automation of processes, international connectability, reusability, and sustainability of all its components. The beta version of the service is available at http://datasearch.gesis.org. The underlying search index of this service is integrated in the new GESIS search facility as well: https://search.gesis.org/gws Since June 2011  da|ra has been supported by a DFG grant.
GESIS and ZBW are two of the five German representatives in the international DataCite consortium, an organization working towards uniform worldwide standards for research data. As members of DataCite, GESIS and ZBW, have partnered with many other of the world’s leading research libraries and centers for technical information to pursue the goal of establishing global, unified standards towards the acceptance of research data as independent, citable scientific entities.

Features

• Medatata harvesting microservice
• Indexing microservice
• Worldbank data retrieval and indexing microservice
• Faceted search interface
• Administrative interface

Download link / Web Access

https://datasearch.gesis.org

Link to demo / prototype

https://datacatalogue.cessda.eu/

Link to source code (GitLab)

https://git.gesis.org/dsn/darasn-harvesting
https://git.gesis.org/dsn/dsn-indexing-dc
https://git.gesis.org/dsn/dsn-searchkit
https://git.gesis.org/dsn/spring-app-admin
https://git.gesis.org/dsn/dsn-worldbank

(*Only accessible with credential, write thomas.kraemer(at)gesis(dot)org if you need access)

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework:  react /searchkit.co
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java
• Java Framework: Spring Boot
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition
• Deployment: GitLab Pipelines

Publications

• Hausstein, Brigitte, Thomas Krämer, Karoline Harzenetter, Ute Koch, Jana Meichsner, and Claus-Peter Klas. 2016. "Knocking on data repositories’ doors - Die Entwicklung eines Suchdienstes für sozialwissenschaftliche Daten." RDA Deutschland Treffen GFZ Potsdam 28-29 November 2016, 29.11.2016. http://os.helmholtz.de/fileadmin/user_upload/os.helmholtz.de/Workshops/rda_de_16_hausstein.pdf.

• Krämer, Thomas. 2017. A data discovery index for the social sciences. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.896431.

Team

SERISS - Variable Harmonization Hub

Description

The Variable Harmonization Hub is a project developed within the EU funded projec SERISS (Synergies for Europe’s Research
Infrastructures in the Social Sciences). [provide link]

The objective of this project is to create a variable recoding and harmonization documentation within and for an
online library. The data structure of the library was taken from GESIS’ open-source software packages designed
to document variable harmonization, CharmStats. Users are able to submit single project, large-scale, longitudinal
and cross-national study recoding and harmonization documentation for peer review, archiving and long-term maintenance.
These recoding and harmonization projects, once accepted, will be assigned a DOI, deposited and made searchable in the library.

Cross-national and longitudinal data harmonisation and data linking are vital in realising the full reuse value of data.
The research community will benefit greatly from data synergies and the simplification and routinisation of ex ante and ex post data harmonisation workflows.

This project is currently is development and will be productive from mid 2019.

Features

with newest on top with date

• entering peer review
• import of GESIS' CharmStats model and harmonization projects possible
• submission of single project, large-scale, longitudinal and cross-national study recoding

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Project is still internal. QA instance is not meant to be public.

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework: Vaadin 
• Backend Services:
  • DSpace 
  • Mariadb 
  • Postgresql 
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java 
• Java Framework: Spring Boot 
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Virtualization: Docker 
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition 
• Deployment: GitLab Pipelines

Team

SowiDataNet/Datorium

Description

SowiDataNet|datorium is a research data repository for social sciences and economics that enables researchers to easily and securely document, publish and share (quantitative) primary and secondary data. The repository is geared to the needs of the scientific community: a comprehensive metadata schema provides an opportunity to describe the research data in detail, which is the prerequisite for effective reuse. With the publication in SowiDataNet|datorium, research data become citable because they are given a persistent identifier, namely a "Digital Object Identifier (DOI)". A two-stage review process also guarantees a quality and technical quality check of the data.

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Download link / Web Access

https://data.gesis.org/sharing/

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework:  Vaadin 
• Backend Services:
  • DSpace 
  • MySQL
  • Postgresql 
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java 
• Java Framework: Spring Boot 
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Virtualization: Docker 
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition 
• Deployment: GitLab Pipelines

Team

Explore Data

Description

Explore-Data is a GESIS internal project to develop a state-of-the-art and user-friendly web-based search portal for social science data, namely cross-collections studies, variables, and questions. Explore-Data offers Google-style full-text search functionality over multiple levels of data (study, variable, question), and over multilingual data (English and German). The system also supports e-Commerce style browsing of data, where it is possible to access data using multi-facets filters, such as language, geographical zone, date, etc. Previously mentioned functionalities are supported by Vaadin user interfaces and ElasticSearch information retrieval solution. The ElasticSearch-Index is based completely on the DDI 3.2 standard.

Features

• Get similar variables (within the same study collection only)
• Shopping cart functionality
• Support multilingual content and search
• Support multi-levels search and browse, namely studies and variables

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Download link / Web Access

https://searchtest.gesis.org/

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework: Vaadin 
• Backend Services: 
  • DDI FlatDB
  • MySQL
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java 
• Java Framework: Spring Boot 
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Virtualization: Docker 
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition 
• Deployment: GitLab Pipelines

Team

SMaP – Survey Management Portal

Description

SMaP is an online platform developed within the EU-funded project SERISS (Synergies for Europe’s Research Infrastructures in the Social Sciences).

It provides a virtual working environment for national survey teams and various stakeholders working together on joint international survey projects. Such projects face major challenges such as high communication costs, the need to manage huge amounts of information and data, the difficulty of navigating between tools throughout the project lifecycle, and the lack of monitoring capacity. SMaP was designed with a twofold goal to facilitate project communication and project management and improve the monitoring and documentation of the project life cycle.
Workspaces are set up for all central and national teams involved in a survey project. They are featured by tools such as Activity Stream for communication between team members, Tasks supporting workflow management, Documents providing access to files shared. That allows team members to quickly switch between tools, stay informed about activities of the team, manage contents that are private for the team, and exchange information with other teams.
For the first pilot project "myEVS", a research team from GESIS, FORS and Tilburg University has adapted the SMaP tools to the requirements of the current wave of the European Values Study (EVS 2017/18). Since mid-2017 myEVS has been functioning as a stable online platform.
SMaP is using the Open Source version of the originally commercial eXo Platform. Additional code developed at GESIS is Open Source and will be available through GitHub.

Features

Customized gateIn portal(web framework) with PortletBridge enabled us to develop and deploy following portlets:

• Customized eXo platform (gateIn website framework with PortletBridge)
• Methodological questionnaire (MQ) -  Survey online form
• Exporting aggregated report with Methodological questionnaire extension
• Data deposit - Checklist portlet
• Table editor - Creating table tool
• Customizing pre-developed portlets
• Supporting collaborative tools such as task management, shared calendar, activity stream, messaging system, document management system (with remote editing).

GitLab

git@git.gesis.org:davarimd/myEvs-Releases.git

Demonstrator

https://smap.gesis.org/

(*Only accessible with credential, write masoud.davari(at)gesis(dot)org if you need access)

Technology Stack

• Website Framework: eXo-gatein
• Portlet Frontend Framework: Vaadin
• Backend Services:
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java
• Java Framework: Spring Boot
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition

Team

x-econ – Online database specialized for experimental economics

Description

x-econ is an online-based research data repository with a focus on the experimental economics science.

With x-econ, you can independently store, manage and publish your data - all on your own terms. The highly customizable features allow you to highlight the individual quality of your data, easily share your data with coauthors and reviewers, as well as make your data more visible and citable.

Features

• Community-oriented metadata
• Find and get found
• DOI to make your data citable
• Store and share your data
• Peer review link
• Long-term data storage
• Data curation
• Version management

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Demonstrator

https://x-econ.org/

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework:  Vaadin 
• Backend Services:
  • DSpace 
  • MySQL
  • Postgresql 
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java 
• Java Framework: Spring Boot 
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Virtualization: Docker 
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition 
• Deployment: GitLab Pipelines

In Cooperation

Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Harald Wypior

Team

x-science

Description

x-science is an online upload research data repository specialised on experimental economics research, as extension to x-econ (https://x-econ.org)

x.science allows to store, manage and publish your research data at your own requirements. The flexible functions allow to highlight the individual quality of the data and share them with coauthors and reviewers. In addition visiblity and dissemination is provided. One main addition with respect to x-econ is a dynamic metadata schema, allowing to change the metadata schema for different kinds of research data. 

Functions are:

• dynamic metadata schema
• search abilities
• dissemination
• DOI for citation of research data
• Store and share of research data
• Link to allow explicit access for reviewers
• long-term preservation
• data curation
• version management

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Download link / Web Access

https://x-econ.org/

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework:  Vaadin 
• Backend Services:
  • DSpace 
  • MySQL
  • Postgresql 
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java 
• Java Framework: Spring Boot 
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Virtualization: Docker 
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition 
• Deployment: GitLab Pipelines

In Cooperation

Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Harald Wypior 

Team

MISSY - Microdata Information System

Description

The Microdata Information System MISSY – a service offered by the German Microdata Lab at GESIS – is aimed at empirically working researchers who use microdata from official statistics. MISSY provides detailed metadata on individual data sets from the German (Microcensus) and European official statistics (e.g. EU-SILC, EU-LFS) and aims to facilitate the use of the data through user-friendly and quickly accessible data documentation.

MISSY also provides a technical infrastructure with an underlying (DDI-based) data model to support the internal metadata preparation processes. The central component of the technical architecture is the MISSY database, which can be filled with information at the variable level via various import interfaces (in case of the import from Stata system files developed in GML). In addition to the automated imports, the MISSY editor can be used for entering and maintaining information, and for managing administrative tasks. The database contents are represented in the MISSY web and the PDF codebooks (lhe latter was mainly developed in the GML). Exports to various DDI formats also are possible.

Features

• MISSY Data Model

• Stata Import

• MISSY Editor

• MISSY Web

Download link / Web Access

https://www.gesis.org/missy/

Link to source code (GitLab)

https://git.gesis.org/missy

Technology Stack

• Backend Services: Tomcat, MySQL
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch
• Programming language: Java
• Spring MVC (Disco Modell / Missy Modell, Freemarker Template Engine)
• Hibernate Persistence (JPA)
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Virtualization: Docker
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition
• Deployment: GitLab Pipelines

Publications

• Bohr, Jeanette, Anne Balz, Florian Thirolf, and Matthäus Zloch. 2018. Microdata Information System MISSY: Benefits for Research with Official Microdata, DDI-Based Implementation, and Evaluation with Regard to FAIR Criteria. GESIS Papers 18/2018. Köln: GESIS. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-58260-7.

• Bohr, Jeanette, and Matthäus Zloch. 2016. "Documenting Microdata from Official Statistics – Benefits of a DDI-Based Backend Infrastructure." EDDI16 – 8th Annual European DDI User Conference, 07.12.2016.

• Bohr, Jeanette. 2015. "Metadata for European integrated official microdata: MISSY." 2nd European Data Access Forum, 24.03.2015.

• Bosch, Thomas, and Benjamin Zapilko. 2015. Semantic Web Applications for the Social Sciences. IASSIST Quarterly, 38(4) & 39(1), 7–16.

Team

LeibnizOpen - Publikationen aus der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft

Description

LeibnizOpen offers a central point of access to freely available digital publications authored by researchers of Leibniz association. It LeibnizOpen contains metadata and full-text links of Open access publications from all disciplines of Leibniz Association. It offers visibility and discoverability as well as long-term availability of the research output of Leibniz association.

GitLab

https://git.gesis.org/mahan.zolghadr/LeibnizOpen

Download link / Web Access

Website: http://www.leibnizopen.de

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework: XMLUI, Typo3
• Backend Services: 
  • DSpace 
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
• Search Technology: Solr 
• Programming language: Java
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Deployment: Manual

Team

CV Manager

Description

Within the CESSDA consortium GESIS developed together with project partners from UK Data Archive and SFD a tool to allow the creation, versioning and maintenance of controlled vocabularies, their translation into all member languages, and access to all CVs. The tool makes vocabulary work quicker, less labour intensive and less error-prone. The published vorcabularies can be integrated via REST into any web-based or standalone documentation tool.

Donwload link / Web Access

• CESSDA Vocabulary Manager:
  https://vocabularies.cessda.eu/
• CESSDA Vocabulary Manager Rest Interface:
  https://vocabularies.cessda.eu/swagger-ui.html

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework: Vaadin 
• Backend Services:
  • DDI FlatDB (SKOS model)
  • MySQL
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java 
• Java Framework: Spring Boot 
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Virtualization: Google Cloud, Kubernetes, Docker
• Version Control: Bitbucket 
• Deployment: Jenkins Pipelines

In Cooperation

• Taina Jääskeläinen, Finnish Social Data Archive
• Anne Etheridge, UK Data Service
• Sharon Bolton, UK Data Service
• John Shepherdson, CESSDA 

Team

Questionnaire Editor

Description

GESIS Questions & Items is a free online service to collaboratively manage questions and items within questionnaires based on the DDI Lifecycle 3.2 metadata standard. 
In combination with an upcoming DDI study/survey editor and a variable editor you are able to provide a complete and high-quality documentation of survey data. The created questionnaires can be exported to Word and we will integrate further export functions, e.g. to online survey tools.

Functions are:

• Create, edit and structure survey questionnaires
• Search for existing questions from GESIS studies
• Creation of 
  • questions 
  • matrixquestion

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Download link / Web Access

https://multiweb.gesis.org/qeditor

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework: Vaadin 
• Backend Services:
  • DDI FlatDB 
  • MySQL
• Search Technology: ElasticSearch 
• Programming language: Java 
• Java Framework: Spring Boot 
• Build-Management-Tool: Apache Maven
• Virtualization: Docker
• Deployment: Jenkins Pipelines

Team

Pretest Datenbank/Database

Description

The pretest database provides researchers access to findings of cognitive pretests conducted by the GESIS pretest lab. The GESIS Pretest Lab supports researchers in optimizing their survey questions prior to data collection with various services. In the Pretest database you can find, for example, the following information on a tested question:

• How do respondents understand the question or specific terms?
• Is the question understood in the way intended by the researcher?
• How easy or difficult is it to answer the question?

You can search for specific question findings and you receive complete information on the pretest projects conducted. Documentation of pretest projects will continually be expanded.

Features

• DOI registration to make your data citable

• Search functionality by keywords or search options restricting either within projects or within items on basis of several criteria

• Download of Pretest reports and print option of questions and items

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Demonstrator

https://pretest.gesis.org/en

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework:  Grails 3.1.16
• Backend Services:
  • Grails 3.1.16
  • MySQL 8.0 Database
• Search Technology: Apache Solr 6.6.6
• Programming language: Java 8, Apache Groovy
• Java Framework: Spring, Hibernate
• Build-Management-Tool: Gradle
• Virtualization: Docker not yet implemented
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition 10.8.7
• Deployment: Manual

Publications

• Lenzner, Timo, Cornelia Neuert, and Wanda Otto. 2016. Cognitive Pretesting. GESIS - Survey Guidelines. doi: https://doi.org/10.15465/gesis-sg_en_010

Team

ZIS - Collection of Items and Scales for the Social Sciences

Description

ZIS is a cost-free open-access publication system for long-lasting access to proven items and scales, the documentation of their theoretical background, development, and quality criteria, while upholding established scientific standards. ZIS currently contains more than 250 survey instruments for the social sciences, e.g. items for measuring political attitudes or short scales for capturing psychological variables (such as personality). The instruments are sorted by topics. The main focus is on measurement instruments – both newly developed and established instruments –  that can be implemented in heterogeneous samples for surveys in the social sciences. The published measurement instruments are empirically tested, and their quality criteria are fully documented. All published instruments can be freely downloaded and used for the purpose of non-commercial research (only). You yourself can contribute by publishing your instrument in ZIS

Features

• Community-oriented metadata (number of items, reliability, validity etc.)

• DOI registration to make your data citable

• Submitting and publishing your scale at ZIS Upload-Portal 

• Simple and advanced search limited to different fields (title, author, theory or quality criteria etc.)

GitLab

Project source code is not public yet.

Demonstrator

https://zis.gesis.org/en

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework:  Grails 3.1.13
• Backend Services:
  • Grails 3.1.13
  • H2 - Java SQL Database -
• Search Technology: Apache Solr 6.6.5 
• Programming language: Java 8, Apache Groovy
• Java Framework: Spring, Hibernate
• Build-Management-Tool: Gradle
• Virtualization: Docker not yet implemented
• Version Control: GitLab Community Edition 10.8.7
• Deployment: Manual

Publications

• Nießen, Désirée, Katharina Groskurth, and Matthias Bluemke. 2019. ZIS Publication Guide (Version 2.0) – Guideline for documenting instruments in the Collection of Items and Scales for the Social Sciences (ZIS). Mannheim: GESIS. doi: https://doi.org/10.6102/pubguide2.English

Team

DDI Search

Description

DDI Search is a DDI 3.2 based stack consisting of an indexing component and a search ui. 
It currently contains about 380k Questions fielded in more than 8000 partly international studies, it supports 70 languages. 
Partly, corresponding preceding and succeeding variables across waves of a longitudinal study can be accessed from the result page  https://demo.ddi.gesis.org/search?q=rd01 or question detail detail view. 
As a registered user, questions can be bookmarked, compared and directly exported to qeditor.

GitLab

Project source code is not public.

Demonstrator

A demo containing only a selection of all ddi fields in the elasticsearch index as facets can be found at https://demo.ddi.gesis.org/

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework:  Java Spring Boot & React
• Search Technology: Elasticsearch 7.17
• Programming language: Java 11 / Typescript / React
• Java Framework: Spring
• Build-Management-Tool: maven
• Virtualization: Docker

Team