The WISERD DataPortal is a web application that enhances a researcher’s ability to search, discover and map socio-economic research data relating to Wales. The application aims to encourage the re-use and re-purposing of existing data.
In December 2015 WISERD, a cross-university research institute, agreed to work in collaboration with the Research Service at the National Assembly for Wales to expand the DataPortal. This expansion involved the development of a new web-mapping interface focussed on Assembly electoral geographies.
Why develop an Assembly interface?
The new interface aims to allow researchers, Assembly Member Support Staff and Assembly Members to explore a wide range of key data relating to Assembly Constituencies and Regions. The datasets available include the results of Welsh Assembly elections and data relating to population, the economy, education, health, housing and accessibility.
The National Assembly for Wales interface is fully bilingual and can be accessed here.
Additional functions of the WISERD DataPortal
In addition to the new interface developed for the National Assembly the WISERD DataPortal offers a number of other functions via the standard interface.
Mapping data from data services
Data services, such as NOMIS and StatsWales, provide access to a vast amount of data and statistics relating to Wales, including labour market statistics, Census data and the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD). The WISERD DataPortal’s Remote Data function can be used to search data from these services by key words and map it by range of geographies, all within a single interface.
Geographic boundaries, points of interest (such as the locations of public services) and environmental datasets, made available by the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales, can also be mapped through the DataPortal.
Map My Data
As well as accessing secondary data users can map their own data, held in spreadsheets on their local machine, using the WISERD DataPortal. Data relating to areas of Wales such as Local Authorities, Assembly Constituencies, Assembly Regions and postcode points can all be mapped. This function has been specifically designed so that all the mapping occurs inside the user’s browser, rather than on the WISERD DataPortal’s server. This means that potentially sensitive data does not leave the user’s machine.
Meta-data Search
In addition to the data mapping functions the WISERD DataPortal allows users to search and discover standards compliant meta-data relating to a wide range of questionnaire surveys undertaken by government and other organisations. This function hopes to encourage the reuse of existing survey data.
More information about the WISERD DataPortal is available here.
What is WISERD?
The Wales Institute of Social Economic Research Data and Methods (WISERD) is a collaborative venture between the Universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, South Wales and Swansea. More information about the research institute can be found here.
Article by Helen Jones, National Assembly for Wales Research Service and Sam Jones WISERD
