Social Analytics Through Spyral

In this paper we introduce Spyral, a notebook environment that works in tandem with Voyant Tools. Voyant Tools is an online digital text analysis environment. Spyral notebooks extend Voyant and allow users to create JavaScript online notebooks with both text and code cells. These notebooks are designed to allow for collaboration between scholars. We also discuss both the possibilities and some limitations of the notebook environment. We provide examples of both tutorial notebooks that can be used for pedagogical purposes as well as examples of Spyral notebooks used in collaborative analysis. Finally, we suggest potential areas for further development for Spyral.

The Intersection of Counseling Microskills and Qualitative Interviewing and Reporting in the Study of Sensitive Topics

Sensitive topics evaluation presents both a maze and a minefield to qualitative evaluators due to their complexity and their potential to create areas of misanalysis. For novice and experienced qualitatve practitioners alike, the evaluator can find the task of broaching complex content and developing trusting relationships to be serious methodological hurdles. In particular, the exercise of exploring and analyzing sensitive topics may increase strain as the evaluator seeks to access the abstract and intangible aspects of often distressing subjective content. To assist qualitative evaluators in overcoming these hurdles, the authors propose a collaborative analysis approach informed by counseling strategies and reflecting skills.

Solve-RD: systematic pan-European data sharing and collaborative analysis to solve rare diseases

For the first time in Europe hundreds of rare disease (RD) experts team up to actively share and jointly analyse existing patient’s data. Solve-RD is a Horizon 2020-supported EU flagship project bringing together >300 clinicians, scientists, and patient representatives of 51 sites from 15 countries. Solve-RD is built upon a core group of four European Reference Networks (ERNs; ERN-ITHACA, ERN-RND, ERN-Euro NMD, ERN-GENTURIS) which annually see more than 270,000 RD patients with respective pathologies. The main ambition is to solve unsolved rare diseases for which a molecular cause is not yet known. This is achieved through an innovative clinical research environment that introduces novel ways to organise expertise and data. Two major approaches are being pursued (i) massive data re-analysis of >19,000 unsolved rare disease patients and (ii) novel combined -omics approaches. The minimum requirement to be eligible for the analysis activities is an inconclusive exome that can be shared with controlled access. The first preliminary data re-analysis has already diagnosed 255 cases form 8393 exomes/genome datasets. This unprecedented degree of collaboration focused on sharing of data and expertise shall identify many new disease genes and enable diagnosis of many so far undiagnosed patients from all over Europe.