Development of a life trajectories web application
Design of a sociological questionnaire application with custom D3.js data visualization at the Grenoble Computer Science Laboratory.
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Presentation
During my 5-month internship at the Grenoble Computer Science Laboratory (LIG), I was in charge of developing a questionnaire web application for sociologists. This application collected individual information during sociological surveys and generated life trajectories across multiple aspects: professional, personal, and geographical. The project was part of a larger research effort on a new sociology method based on life trajectories.
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Objectives, context and stakes
The objective was to create the first version of a tool from scratch, under the direction of a research professor. The application was to be used by 3 to 4 sociologist investigators, LIG members as well as professors from other French universities.
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The steps — what I did
The technical stack included a PostgreSQL database, a web application developed with Vue.js, and D3.js for fully custom data visualizations. The technical highlight of the project was implementing a custom solution with D3.js to create a chart type that didn't exist yet for tracing life trajectories. D3.js is a library that gives total control: the desired chart had to be built from the library's basic building blocks, the opposite of ready-to-use charting libraries.
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The actors — interactions
I worked under the direction of a LIG research professor. The end users were sociologist investigators — about 3 to 4 researchers, LIG members and professors from other French universities.
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The results
The application was delivered as a working version with the questionnaire system and custom D3.js visualizations. The chart type created for life trajectories was a real technical challenge that resulted in an original and useful outcome for researchers.
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After the project
The application was taken over for continued development, especially as it's part of a larger body of work on a new sociology method. The project continues to live beyond my internship.
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My critical review
This project taught me the importance of building a solution on solid foundations from the start, to avoid constantly reworking the solution or going down the wrong path. It's a lesson I now apply to all my projects.
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