I’ve always been a “window shopper.” I don’t want to go in and find the store directory, follow the little map, go up the escalator and through the racks…unless the window displays tell me it will probably be worth my time. I tend to approach databases the same way; I want to know what’s in there. Not only do I want some reassurance that what I need is there, but I also want to see if there’s information I may not have realized I need yet.
It is truly wonderful when something comes along that speeds access to science. Such is the case with CrossRef’s linking network for scholarly literature. Anyone that has ever done a literature search prior to 2000 is completely blown away today when they encounter the time saved and the quality of CrossRef’s linking service. I vividly recall my own literature review for my PhD dissertation almost 40 years ago and I want to share my story.
Early in May the new design and the expanded search functionalities of the DOE Data Explorer were launched. The major upgrade continues this month with the addition of customization features that enhance your interaction with the DDE database. You may be familiar with some of these from OSTI’s other information products. For example, you can now download retrieved records into
A database and its supporting website can get periodic makeovers and sometimes it can even undergo rebirth! The DOE Data Explorer (DDE) has just emerged from a rebirth process, and we are proud to announce its transformation. The first version of DDE was launched in 2008 with the mission of guiding users to collections of publicly available, DOE-sponsored data and other non-text information.
There are databases, and then there are treasure maps. The DOE Data Explorer (DDE) merges the two concepts into a product offering the best of both. DDE’s database provides the features needed for simple retrieval or advanced searching. The treasure map aspect comes from DDE’s content, which links you to collections of data and non-text information wherever those collections reside.
Instead of sailing the seven seas, you can browse DDE’s seven types of content. Choose “Browse by Content Type” from the drop down menu on the DDE homepage and hit the “Submit” button.
You can now have multiple access points to Science Accelerator at your fingertips. Just download the new tabbed widget and you will have access to search Science Accelerator, to the RSS feed, and to the Science Accelerator Alerts. Download via the 'Get Widget Options' link or by placing the inclusion code in the online location of your choice.
When you use the widget search feature, a federated search provides one-stop simultaneous searching of multiple networked data resources, including the newly-added resources -- DOE Data Explorer and DOE Green Energy.
I can’t remember how it went now, but as a child I skipped rope to a rhyme that included “would I, could I” somewhere in it.Recently questions were asked about OSTI’s involvement with scientific research data.Is OSTI planning to become a repository for numeric data?Are we going to issue Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for datasets, and would we be telling people how to manage their data?For some reason, the questions triggered the memory of that old refrain, but now I was thinking from an OSTI perspective, “would we, could we…?”
The life of every person in the world today has been shaped by successive technological transformations. The printing press transformed communication and education, beginning in the mid 15th century. Sailing and navigation technology of the late 15th century allowed Europeans to learn about other continents, beginning the global network of trade.
If you're ready to discover data, then OSTI's newest product is ready for you!The DOE Data Explorer (DDE) is a unique tool that identifies collections of DOE-sponsored numeric files, figures and data plots, multimedia and images, computer simulations, specialized databases, and interactive data maps.
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