Print-friendly pageIntroduction to exploring data
The ESDS Qualidata Online service allows the exploration of data collections (and associated metadata) in many different ways. These are summarised below and are accessible by clicking on the appropriate side tab. Not all data collections will have the same elements available for data exploration.
Note that when exploring a data collection not all material may have been digitised, and that there may be limitations for some of the data retrieved owing to imperfections in the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) process.
When exploring data, users may carry out searches and obtain initial results (hits), including interview extracts, without logging into their ESDS account. However, to retrieve full interview transcripts they must be logged in.
Interview transcripts
ESDS Qualidata has fully digitised a number of interview transcripts from several data collections. It is possible to carry out keyword searches on these transcripts. These searches can be carried out in conjunction with filters on age, year of birth, marital status, geographical location and occupational class.
It is possible to undertake these searches across multiple data collections at the same time, with results sorted by collection.
It is also possible to browse all the available transcripts.
Interview summaries
To gain an overview of a data collection, it is possible to explore the interview summaries for each individual. Searching the interview summaries is done either by a search on the categorical fields (e.g. sex, year of birth, marital status, geographical location, occupational class) or by a free-text search which also searches the summary fields containing a rich description of various themes from the interview (e.g. marriage, education, work history, religious beliefs). A few interview summaries also provide further links to other interview material (e.g. letters).
Search interview summaries This functionality is currently only implemented for the Edwardians data collection.
Thematic coding
Researchers often undertake thematic coding as part of the analysis process. ESDS Qualidata makes this coding available where possible. However this process is very labour intensive and is only provided for a small number of interview transcripts.
Browse thematic coding This functionality is currently only implemented for the Edwardians data collection.
Multimedia
ESDS Qualidata Online intends to include multimedia resources wherever possible. It has currently digitised a small number of audio cassettes and produced an image gallery.
Explore multimedia This functionality is currently only implemented for the Edwardians data collection.
Contextual documentation
Some data collections have other contextual documentation available, for example, letters and photos. Where available these are linked from the relevant interview summary.
Catalogue records
Links to the full catalogue record for the data collection are accessible from the Data Catalogue.
