Research Support for the Entire Project Lifecycle

Through partnerships, tools, and hands-on guidance, DISSC helps streamline complex processes so social scientists can focus on generating impactful insights.

Phase 1: Plan/Design

Data Discovery: Check out the list below of data sources available to the social science research community on campus. (DISSC is also working with the Yale Library and others on a new data discovery platform to make is easier for researchers to find information about the various datasets at Yale).

• DISSC Data Resources
• Social Science Data Resources at the Marx Library
• Business & Management Resources at Yale Library
• Data on Financial Markets (through International Finance Center at SOM)
• Economic Growth Center (EGC) Data 

Phase 2: Generate/Acquire

Researchers at Yale often work with outside parties to acquire novel data. Researchers needing help with  contracting or other services should reach out to DISSC.

• Data Acquisition:  In cases where data is not licensed university-wide, but has use by more than one researcher or team, DISSC can help negotiate for, or purchase, these data.
• Data Use Agreements (DUAs): DISSC can serve as a partner as researchers negotiate with outside entities for access to data. Yale’s Office of Sponsored Projects will sign these agreements but DISSC has the experience to help navigate the process.
• Survey Research: DISSC provides guidance to help researchers navigate Yale’s survey processes and policies, including assistance with vendor selection.
• Scraping (Bright): DISSC has arranged for Yale researchers to gather data by web scraping using the Bright Initiative platform. Please note that all projects must be approved by Bright and must be in alignment with the UN Sustainability Goals.
• File Transfer (FTP and/or Globus): Researchers needing to move large or secure data on or off campus can come to DISSC for help. 

Phase 3: Process/Analyze

• Social Science Software: DISSC sponsors various software packages utilized in social science research at Yale. DISSC acts as a liaison between the research community and the organizations responsible for acquiring, licensing, or renewing these software titles.
• Compute Resources (link to new Compute Resources page): DISSC can serve as a resource for researchers determining the best place to conduct their research. DISSC also maintains a stand-alone air gapped machine for those researchers who need it.
• AI and ML Resources: DISSC can help Yale social scientists apply AI tools efficiently, securely, and responsibly in their research.
• Data Provisioning: For its own data, and for some datasets acquired by others, DISSC maintains data pipelines to pre-process these data make them easier to use in centralized data stores at YCRC, Yale Cloud locations or elsewhere. DISCC can also consult with researchers needing help working with large and complex data.

Phase 4: Share/Reuse

• Dataverse: Yale Dataverse is a data repository service for Yale University faculty, staff, students, and affiliates to share, preserve, and cite research data. Yale Library hosts and manages Yale Dataverse to ensure research produced at Yale is accessible and discoverable to the global community.
• Other Repositories: Researchers at Yale have access to both general and domain-specific repositories. DISSC and the Yale Library can help you deposit data from your project into these repositories.
• Yale University Library Research Guides: Research Data Management
• YARD at Institution for Social and Policy Studies is a collaborative platform that helps research teams refine, validate, and improve their research output before publication.
• Data Sharing Websites:  Yale researchers often want to share their data visually and interactively. DISSC has helped several research groups launch their sites. Please reach out if you are considering creating your own.