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Online access to repositories ofsurvey data: Nesstar

unlocking data, creating knowledge

Margaret Ward

Presented at the ‘Best practices in sharing data’ conference, 17 March 2006, Regent’s college, London

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What does Nesstar do?

• Web based data dissemination

• For you:– Publish

– Manage

• For users:– Discover

– Visualise

– Analyse

– Share

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Core Components

Located on server• Nesstar Server - includes an SQL-based metadata management

system, a data storage system, a powerful statistical engine as well as a flexible access control system.

• Nesstar WebView – totally customisable and configurable layer that presents the search, browse, display, analysis and retrieval options to the user. Able to seamlessly handle survey data, cubes and other resources.

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Located on desktop• Nesstar Publisher – a sophisticated authoring environment that

can publish data from a variety of sources (including SPSS, SAS, Excel etc.). The tool includes a specialised metadata editor, data and metadata validation routines and metadata templates that provide standardisation and control.

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Publisher

End-user clients

RetrieveUpload

Metadata and data input

Import

Metadata and data editing and management

Data and metadata retrieval and display

Overview

Internet

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Examples of use: ESDS

• Popular datasets available via Nesstar

• Organised by survey series, e.g. Labour Force Survey

• Question text available with variables

• Ability to perform simple analysis online

• Subset and download

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Examples of use: Mki Observatory

• Customised-off-the-shelf solution

• Holding national and local indicators

• 300 datasets• One-stop shop for

information• Growth issues facing

Milton Keynes• Accurate and up-to-

date information• Data sharing

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Nesstar Demonstration

• Current released version 3 available from: http://nesstar.essex.ac.uk/webview

• Latest beta version 3.5 available from: http://nesstar1.essex.ac.uk/webview

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