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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)

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MethodBox – A service for data users in health research

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  1. 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)

  2. Online access to search engine; downloadable resources; upload facilities Social aspect of provision – cumulative development of resources by users

  3. MethodBox model of the investigation cycle Results Tooling Community Data Analysis Models Publications, Reports or Decisions Questions • Tooling focus is (survey) Data and Analysis • Main Community focus is Expertise via Methods/Analysis/Scripts

  4. e-Lab Research Object Research protocol Statistical analysis scripts Data-sources Analysis-logs & notes Find Share Reuse Data-preparation scripts Figures/Graphics Working datasets Manuscripts References Slides Socially-stimulating science, in-silico

  5. 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

  6. Examples: HSE 2006 data set 208 pages 13 pages @1800 Variables Questionnaire Instructions Survey Description 148 pages 224 pages Questions used To set variables Variable Definitions Variable Categories Variable SPSS code Variable Value Domains 9 pages 351 pages 46 MB data files Data and Variable Codebook

  7. All HSE HSE 18 datasets in all of HSE

  8. www.methodbox.org

  9. survey results

  10. variable results & details

  11. User collaboration: Sharing data and scripts Users can upload and share surveys and data extracts Upload and share scripts e.g. syntax or do-files

  12. How MethodBox fits in MethodBox Survey Navigation Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) Survey Mapping Improving Access & Use UK Data Archive (UKDA) Survey Curation Survey Commissioning & Collection etc… diagram not to scale

  13. 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 ESDS Users: social science researchers Need: informed substantively and methodologically MethodBox Users: Not necessarily academics Need: 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

  14. 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: shoaib.sufi@manchester.ac.uk

  15. Vanessa Higgins Rob Haines Caroline Jay

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