Swivel: New Web tool for exploring and sharing data sets
August 31st, 2007 by Samantha Earp
Swivel is an online tool to upload, share and explore data sets. After setting up a free login, you can browse existing data sets or upload your own to share with a group or with the Swivel membership at large. A set of data analysis tools allows you to manipulate the display of data using different types of templates and formats. In many cases, data sets can be downloaded for further use in Excel or statistical programs. Users can also create their own tags to categorize data or use community tags, making Swivel another addition to the Web 2.0 toolkit.
Swivel’s Official Source program allows researchers and research organizations to make selected data sets available for use by members; current participants include the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Health Organization, and UNESCO.
September 5th, 2007 at 10:02 am
ISIS Tech and New Media Tuesdays featuring Sara Wood
November 13, 2007, 12:00-1:15 PM
John Hope Franklin Center 240
“Bringing Data into the Web’s Fabric: The Swivel Approach”
The Web is awash in textual information on every topic imaginable. However, the amount of hard data that can be usefully accessed on the Web remains remarkably small, despite the potential for an Internet of people and their computers to exploit in ways that can improve their health, happiness and bottom line.
Swivel is a site where users explore, publish, compare, visualize, share and discuss data. By combining web technologies and user enthusiasm to liberate data from its traditional vaults, Swivel allows people to discover and share insights in that data.
We’ll discuss how data accessibility, collaboration and Web 2.0 will facilitate better decision-making by both policy makers and the general public.
Swivel has established partnerships with UN and governmental agencies, academic institutions and researchers, foundations, and businesses across the secotrs whose goal is to make their data available to the widest audience possible. At the same time, we encourage interested individuals to participate equally in the sharing of data and engaging in debate.
Bio: Sara Wood is the Chief Data Officer for Swivel. Sara has spent the better part of the last decade working with some of the world’s most important data: the World Health Organization, Harvard School of Public Health, the UN and UNDP. Previous to that she worked for a number of technology companies and research organizations, including web startups such as Salon.com, where she helped to solve emerging issues of content and data management on the web.
View the Tech & New Media Tuesdays website and schedule.