Abstract: An explorer user interface allows users that are interested in making purpose-based access requests to datasets to view aggregated and/or summary data regarding available datasets prior to making the purpose-based access request. A guided discovery wizard allows a user to view summarized and/or general information regarding datasets and may provide the user options to filter the datasets based on such information and/or based on parameters of specific data items within the datasets (without exposing the specific data items to the user). Thus, the user may filter the datasets to determine a cohort of datasets including data items that are interesting or useful for the specific purpose. The system may provide access to a subset of filtered datasets for the specific purpose in a self-contained, dedicated-purpose directory (an “investigation workspace”) that includes only the precise portion of data that is needed for the requested purpose.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for data synchronization are provided. One of the methods includes: receiving, from a client device displaying a spreadsheet interface, a query for data; identifying, from one or more datasets in a data store, a plurality of data items responsive to the query; sending, to the client device, a plurality of data entries for display in a plurality of cells of the spreadsheet interface, wherein the data entries correspond to the identified data items; receiving, from the client device, information associated with one or more changes to one or more of the data entries, wherein the one or more changes are created based on one or more user inputs in the spreadsheet interface; and updating, in the data store based on the one or more changes, one or more of the data items corresponding to the one or more changed data entries.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for data synchronization are provided. One of the methods includes: receiving, from a client device displaying a spreadsheet interface, a query for data; identifying, from one or more datasets in a data store, a plurality of data items responsive to the query; sending, to the client device, a plurality of data entries for display in a plurality of cells of the spreadsheet interface, wherein the data entries correspond to the identified data items; receiving, from the client device, information associated with one or more changes to one or more of the data entries, wherein the one or more changes are created based on one or more user inputs in the spreadsheet interface; and updating, in the data store based on the one or more changes, one or more of the data items corresponding to the one or more changed data entries.