StatCat: Social Science Statistical Data Finder

StatCat includes information about numeric datasets in the Yale Social Science Data Archive, data available to the Yale community from ICPSR, selected datasets available in the Yale University Library, and selected data sources on the Internet.

Enhancements completed Spring 2004

Added more than 5000 records from ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research). StatCat and ICPSR's data holdings can now be searched together; results for ICPSR holdings link to ICPSR's Web site. ICPSR records in StatCat will be updated monthly.

Faculty, students and staff on the Yale network can download ICPSR data and documentation. ICPSR's catalog can also be searched directly and includes resources not available in StatCat (for example, online data, bibliographic links, and variable level searching).

Enhancements completed Summer 2003

Implemented Lucene search engine.

Enhancements completed Summer 2002

• Database migrated from mySQL to postgreSQL; front end rewritten in JSP.
• Search interface allows limit by media type (CD-ROM, Internet, Statlab server).
• Records include links to browse other studies in that subject area.
• Records for ICPSR studies include direct link to study in ICPSR's archive, to retrieve additional or updated files.

StatCat replaced the Yale Social Science Data Archive catalog, which was a mainframe-legacy catalog with a WAIS search engine. StatCat is a mySQL database with a PHP front end. It provides more precise search results and more advanced searches than the old catalog.

The database and application were designed by Steven Citron-Pousty, Manager of Social Science Research Services, with support from Ann Green, Director, Social Science Research Services. Julie Linden, Data and Government Information Librarian, was in charge of the content and migration of the records and the interface design. Themba Flowers, Manager of the Social Science Statistical Laboratory, is responsible for programming updates to StatCat and led the project to include ICPSR records in StatCat.

StatCat is based on a subset of DDI, the Data Documentation Initiative, which is the metadata standard adopted by the international statistical data community.

Future enhancements to StatCat include the ability to link directly to datasets online, including documentation and software setups.