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Definitions
Application Programming Interface. A documented, stable, and consistent ‘language’ for two of more pieces of software to communicate with one another.
In this project, we use APIs to define which elements of a network canvas interview are configurable by the user, and in what ways. For example, a name generator interface might have an API that takes the form of a 'configuration object'. This object might contain properties that let the researcher specify question prompts, or the type of node that is created on that screen.
A screen within the Server app that allows the researcher to quickly view the current state of the data that has been collected. It will contain visual widgets, charts, and graphs, and will illustrate such characteristics as the number of observations, the breakdown of specific variables, and the progression of certain values over time. The specifics of this functionality are to be determined.
We have a somewhat unfamiliar use of the word 'interface'. We use it to describe a data collection instrument of a specific type within Network Canvas. Interfaces provide a set of UI elements and interactions that are geared towards a specific type of task, or the collection of specific types of data. Examples of interfaces include the name generator, the sociogram, as well as more traditional survey interfaces, such as ordinal and categorical bins.
Interfaces are configurable and extendable, which means that options and parameters for a task (such as the text of a question prompt or the name of a variable) can be changed. When an interface is configured within an interview protocol as a stage, it is said to be instantiated.
Some interfaces are provided by the Network Canvas framework (“core interfaces”). Others will be built for specific studies (“custom interfaces”) and will be stored as part of an interview protocol.
Each individual step of an interview protocol is called an interview stage. Each interview stage represents an instance of an interface, along with associated configuration options. These stages are stored in the interview protocol.
A graph database engine that is optimized for storing structural data. It is used as the backend for storing the output from Network Canvas-R, and was intended to be used by the Server tool as a backend. We moved away from this idea as the visual query builder functionality was removed from the Server, which reduced the storage requirements.
Architect is the new graphical tool we will develop to allow researchers to design interview protocols.
Server is the final step of the Network Canvas Suite workflow. It manages the deployment of an interview protocol to a device(s) running Network Canvas, and waits for data to be sent back from these devices as interviews are completed.
Finally, it allows for this data to be filtered and exported for further analysis.
Network Canvas, or the Network Canvas app, is the survey application itself. It is cross platform (running on desktop operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux) and also designed to run on tablet devices (iOS and Android).
Network Canvas must be configured with an interview protocol in order to be used.
The Network Canvas Software Suite is how we refer to the collection of applications surrounding Network Canvas. The suite contains: Architect, Network Canvas, and Server.
The version of Network Canvas, and associated interview protocol, developed for the RADAR Study. Now considered obsolete.
The interview protocol (or simply 'protocol') is a file that describes the interview that is to be conducted using Network Canvas.
Protocol files are created in one of two ways: (1) through the Architect software using a GUI, or (2) manually by advanced users.
The protocol file also contains skip flow logic, which describes when certain stages should or should not be shown based on logical tests.
Interview protocols are loaded onto a client running Network Canvas, either by directly accessing a public URL, or by pairing with an instance of the Server app.
To be written.