Specifications include, but are not limited to: Awarded Respondent shall provide solution design, technical, analytical, and project management support to establish and populate an online Data Dictionary and Research Project Repository, including integration of Community Features and Discussion capability into both. Key solution elements and activities are described in the sections that follow. 3.1.1 Data Dictionary Platform. A scalable, browsable, searchable, online Data Dictionary Platform to support ERC researchers in understanding data definitions and code lists for TEA, TWC, and THECB data provided to researchers working on or seeking approval for research projects to be done within an ERC. a. General Description. This solution will serve as a general reference for data definitions, data models, file formats, and specifications relevant to ERCs. While the term “Data Dictionary” is used throughout this RFO, the feature set herein defines a system to host documentation that is often called a “Data Handbook,” “Data Cookbook,” “Metadata Repository,” or similar: a system capable of providing data specifications as well as data context, usage, history, and other metadata about the specifications. b. Illustrative Data Dictionary Content. Examples of current documentation for the types and years of data held by the ERCs can be found at: Texas ERC Data (utexas.edu), Data Documentation (utexas.edu), and UH-ERC Data Warehouse - University of Houston. This information is representative of the core type of documentation that will populate the Data Dictionary platform. c. Illustrative Solutions. Stakeholders identified the following systems as examples of the Data Dictionary features required. These examples are illustrative only, and do not indicate a recommendation or preference on the part of THECB about the eventual solution: i. GSS Data Explorer (including the variable search; a noteworthy feature is the good visualization of “years available” for each data point) ii. NCES Online Codebook iii. TWEDS (Texas Student Data System Web-Enabled Data Standards, published by the Texas Education Agency) iv. Data Cookbook (a commercial solution which powers the Brown University Data Cookbook)
