Ready to learn more? Explore our guides on Data Management Good Practices. Here you will also find information on workshops and trainings provided by the Research Data Services team, University Libraries and from other institutions.
We offer a variety of workshops throughout the year to help you develop essential data skills. Check our UB Libraries Workshops page for upcoming sessions and registration. (If you don’t have time to attend a workshop, please check out the self-guided lessons we have below.) We can also arrange customized training sessions for your lab, department, or course. Topics for a workshop include:
Workshops & Training | |
---|---|
Research Data Management | Geographic Information Systems (GIS) |
Data Cleaning & Analyzing | Programming Languages |
Qualitative Data Analysis | Digital Humanities |
Survey & Statistical Tools | Data Visualization |
Explore data science tools and methods for your research and scholarship with these self-paced, online lessons. The Carpentries offers foundational training in programming and data science, while specialized tutorials from The Programming Historian help humanists and social scientists apply these skills to their unique research questions. For those interested in spatial analysis, online GIS training materials can teach you how to create maps and analyze geographic data on your own schedule.
If you have any questions about these lessons or need help getting started, feel free to schedule a consultation or email the Research Data Services Program.
The Carpentries (Software Carpentry, Data Carpentry, Library Carpentry) offer a suite of self-guided lessons in foundational coding and data science skills, perfect for researchers and scholars. The materials are designed to be accessible to absolute beginners, covering essential tools like R, Python, and SQL in a hands-on, easy-to-follow format. Each lesson takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete with the R and Python programming languages taking between 7-8 hours.
There are even more Carpentries lessons to explore in the Data Carpentry and Library Carpentry curriculums. Data Carpentry Lessons are discipline focused (Ecology, Genomics, Geospatial, Social Sciences), while Library Carpentry’s lessons apply concepts of software development and data science to information science and the humanities.
Here are two great options for learning Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools. You can get started with industry-standard tools like ESRI (ArcGIS Pro), which offers powerful features and official tutorials, or dive into the free and flexible QGIS, which is an open-source alternative with a large community of support.
The Programming Historian provides peer-reviewed, step-by-step tutorials specifically tailored for humanists and social scientists. From digitizing historical maps to analyzing textual data, their lessons equip you with the technical know-how to tackle new research questions. Whether you're aiming to automate a tedious task or explore new forms of digital analysis, these platforms provide the perfect starting point for your self-guided learning journey. Here is a sample of the more than 100 lessons at The Programming Historian.