Researcher(s)
- Herissa Monsalud, Computer Engineering, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Hui Fang, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Delaware
Abstract
Disaster science is critical to understand the impact and risks of catastrophes caused by natural processes on the environment and culture of urban areas. The Disaster Research Center (DRC) was the first one to devote scientific studies to disasters and ensured the accessibility of this information. The E.L. Quarantelli Resource Collection serves as a database for scholars and agencies seeking disaster research publications. However, the website’s outdated system hindered the ability to efficiently utilize the platform for both administrators and users.
The online collection was updated to a different search platform, Elasticsearch, to better support the disaster research communities’ needs. Elasticsearch allows for real-time indexing, scalability, and security of the database. Both the frontend and backend components of the system were improved. On the frontend, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS work together to build the user interface and enable user interactions.
First, a user action log was implemented to prevent accidental deletions and retain deleted data for data recovery. Second, the user interface was improved to enhance accessibility and efficiency. A filtered search feature was added, allowing users to search through metadata based on their chosen fields. Third, the system was migrated from Apache Solr to Elasticsearch. With these changes, admins will have an easier time with data recovery and be able to upload batches of data themselves in the web application and users.