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Tools & Resources

Tools & Resources

We make the following tools available to our clients:

  • Static File Server. We use Surfer to keep a permanent record of public-facing files. These are typically files that require a permalink for DOI purposes.
  • Survey Instrument. The LimeSurvey platform is free, open-source, and optimal for statistically valid (and blinded) survey processing. LimeSurvey gives us the ability to conduct methodologically rigorous surveys over large populations.
  • Technical Utilities. We offer IT Tools as a free service to anyone who visits. It's a hosted implementation of an open-source application with micro-tools useful for programming and Web design.
  • E-Signatures. The Docuseal app is our preferred method of digitally signing documents.
  • Code Repository. We run the Gitea application to manage our local (and protected) Git repository. Every project that includes code of some kind is available to clients through Gitea.
  • Analytics. Because every project is different, using different data sources and potentially different outputs, we use Apache Superset for our clients. In Superset, we can set granular access permissions on a per-role or per-user level to ensure that information is kept secure. This tool is our primary dashboarding and SQL-exploration tool.
  • Prototyping. For exploratory analysis in R or Python, or to set dynamic data-driven stories, we use our own implementation of Jupyter Hub with the data-science add-in.
  • Collaboration. To keep everyone on the same page, we have deployed MatterMost — a Slack alternative — for near-real-time updates and conversation, outside of the email space.
  • Project Management. OpenProject delivers a good blend of tools for managing most analytics projects effectively. Each project is isolated by client, with no restrictions on the number of users.
  • Newsletters. We use Ghost for our newsletter engine.

Database

We can connect to any database through Superset or JupyterHub. In addition, we run our own database on the Digital Ocean platform — a MySQL 8 database provisioned with 1 GB of RAM and a high-powered vCPU. We can create schemas to isolate client data and secure it from unauthorized access.