FOSSR Deliverable 8.4 Technical report on the online data analysis software for training

This deliverable presents the Data Analysis aCroSs languages and software (DAX), an innovative online learning platform developed within the Fostering Open Science in Social Science Research (FOSSR) project. DAX is designed to support data analysis education by enabling users to execute Stata commands and obtain real-time translations into R—with planned extensions to Python—allowing seamless cross-software data analysis. DAX features a modular and scalable architecture, composed of a Node.js-based backend, an R execution engine built with Plumber, and a React-based frontend. The system is fully containerised using Docker, ensuring portability and simplified deployment. Security is a core component, with JWT-based authentication, input validation, and protection against common web vulnerabilities. The report details the architecture, execution flow, and security measures, along with the translation workflow from Stata to R. Future improvements include support for Python translation, enhanced performance through caching and parallel processing, and extended security features like two-factor authentication (2FA). DAX represents a step forward in open, software-agnostic data analysis education, providing a flexible and scalable solution for students, researchers, and instructors within the FOSSR initiative.