MethodBox – A service for data users in health research
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MethodBox – A service for data users in health research • Materials/slides: Shoaib Sufi, Ian Dunlop, Angela Dale, et al., (MethodBox /Obesity e-Lab, University of Manchester); and Sarah King-Hele (ESDS) • Talk: Paul Lambert (DAMES workshop, Univ. Stirling, 30/JAN/2012) Context of growing volume of (survey) data resources for health research; great interest in socially influenced health outcomes; but fragmented character of research resources and activities • Different academic disciplines; academic v’s healthcare settings Obesity e-Lab: virtual platform for collaborative research and sharing of data and analytical resources Methodbox: Tools for navigating, storing and distributing data and information resources (e.g. variable listings; analytical scripts) under the theme of health survey datasets (www.methodbox.org )
description
MethodBox – A service for data users in health research. Materials/slides: Shoaib Sufi, Ian Dunlop, Angela Dale, et al., ( MethodBox /Obesity e-Lab, University of Manchester); and Sarah King- Hele (ESDS) Talk: Paul Lambert (DAMES workshop, Univ. Stirling, 30/JAN/2012) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of MethodBox – A service for data users in health research
MethodBox – A service for data users in health research
• Materials/slides: Shoaib Sufi, Ian Dunlop, Angela Dale, et al., (MethodBox /Obesity e-Lab, University of Manchester); and Sarah King-Hele (ESDS)
• Talk: Paul Lambert (DAMES workshop, Univ. Stirling, 30/JAN/2012)
Context of growing volume of (survey) data resources for health research; great interest in socially influenced health outcomes; but fragmented character of research resources and activities• Different academic disciplines; academic v’s healthcare settings Obesity e-Lab: virtual platform for collaborative research and sharing of
data and analytical resources Methodbox: Tools for navigating, storing and distributing data and
information resources (e.g. variable listings; analytical scripts) under the theme of health survey datasets (www.methodbox.org)
Online access to search engine; downloadable resources; upload facilities
Social aspect of provision – cumulative development of resources by users
MethodBox model of the investigation cycle
Data
•Tooling focus is (survey) Data and Analysis•Main Community focus is Expertise via Methods/Analysis/Scripts
AnalysisModels
Results
QuestionsQuestions Publications, Reports or Decisions
ToolingCommunity
e-Lab
Socially-stimulating science, in-silico
Research Object
FindShareReuse
Data-sources
Data-preparation scripts
Research protocol Statistical analysis scripts
Slides
Working datasets
Figures/Graphics
Manuscripts
References
Analysis-logs & notes
MethodBox scope and coverage
• Health oriented social surveys (69 UK surveys so far*)
• Variable search facility• Access derived datasets (259 datasets; 176 extracts*)
• Access specialist scripts (51 scripts*)
• Information retrieval: Searching for Surveys, Datasets, Variables; Exploring Variable data summaries; Shopping metaphor
• Information processing: Variable selection; Creating data subsets; Linking resources; Download microdata subject to ESDS account details
• Social layer with user profiles and user contributions: Profiles; Secure authorisation; Group & Public links; Upload Scripts; Upload data; Submit Comments and notes; Register PubMed Id or DOI publications
* December 2011
Examples: HSE 2006 data set
13 pages208 pages
Variable DefinitionsVariable CategoriesVariable SPSS code
Questionnaire Instructions
224 pages
Questions usedTo set variables
148 pages
Survey Description
9 pagesVariable Value
Domains 351 pages46 MB data files
Data and Variable Codebook
@1800 Variables
HSE
All HSE18 datasets in all of HSE
www.methodbox.org
survey results
variable results & details
Upload and share scripts e.g. syntax or do-files
Users can upload and share surveys and data extracts
User collaboration: Sharing data and scripts
How MethodBox fits in
UK Data Archive(UKDA)
MethodBox
Economic and Social Data Service(ESDS)
Survey Curation
Survey Mapping
diagram not to scale
Survey Navigation
Survey Commissioning & Collection
etc…
Impr
ovin
g Ac
cess
& U
se
ESDS and MethodBox relationship
• Two approaches featuring engagement and collaboration with services: • separate teams both based at the University of Manchester (some
shared investigators)• both offer UK social sciences survey data to download• data available via registration with ESDS• Aimed at academics and other researchers• Aim to help users to understand and use the data correctly
ESDSUsers: social science researchersNeed: informed substantively and methodologically
MethodBoxUsers: Not necessarily academicsNeed: to get and use data without ploughing through guides
-> MethodBox creates a virtual space to allow users-to access data-to share data and knowledge-to network
MethodBox - Ongoing activities• Current work until Sept 2012– Proactively building user-community
• ~100 registered; ~25 regular login users; many more guest usrs– Plans to integrate variable search facilities with ESDS– Formative evaluation usability/improvements– Platform for further developing ‘Amazon like features’
• ‘Wisdom of the crowds’ v’s ‘wisdom of the experts’?
Website: https://www.methodbox.org/Contact: [email protected]
Vanessa Higgins
Rob Haines
Caroline Jay
