Chenyue Jiao: My experience as a Vollstedt Intern with the Data Services Department

During my Vollstedt internship as a Data Services Learning Resources Specialist at UO, I found myself immersed in the dynamic world of research data management. My primary responsibilities included preparing Dryad launching at UO, creating LibGuides on best practices for data management, and curating and organizing learning resources related to research data. I really appreciate this internship opportunity as I gained hands-on experience and kept up with the latest trends and advancements in the field of data services.

In the initial weeks, I familiarized myself with the research data services provided, the library data infrastructure, and the various tools employed for data management. Meetings with my mentor, Gabriele Hayden, and other seasoned librarians provided me with valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within research data management. Based on my interests and expertise, I contributed to developing LibGuides to help researchers understand and master research data management, including Dryad data repository, data publication, how to use DMPTool, and how to write data management plans. These LibGuides have been published on the Research Data Management website.

Another highlight of my internship was the opportunity to help the Graduate College track new publications published by UO’s amazing graduate students and advertise their works in their newsletter during a specific period. The challenge of this project is to track the publications of graduate students as they might not use any author IDs (e.g., ORCID) and might have wrong affiliation information in their works. By using the powerful OpenAlex API, I wrote some Python codes to automatically achieve the goal. I was so excited that I could address an actual problem in the academic setting. The codes have been shared on GitHub so that anyone can reuse the codes for their purposes.

Overall, this experience as a Data Services Learning Resources Specialist provided me with a comprehensive understanding of research data management and also equipped me with valuable skills and insights into this evolving field, which provided a solid foundation for my future endeavors in research data services. I am grateful for the opportunities for growth and learning that this internship has afforded me.

Data Services Winter Workshop & Event Schedule

This Winter, Data Services is putting on a packed calendar or Workshops and Events. There are some exciting new additions to the calendar! 

Join us this term for workshops on Python, R, The Unix Shell & Bash, and Qualtrics. Prior to the start of the term, our Install Help Desk can help you install a variety of specialized data analysis software. Pop in for some of our engaging events, including a new edition of Data Bookclub, reading Caroline Perez’s Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, and Coffee + Data && Code. This term we are offering some new events: a seminar watch series, Talking Data, where we’ll watch a pre-recorded presentation followed by a discussion, and Coding Circles, an opportunity to co-work or talk through challenges in your code with other people. More details below! 

Look out for our Women in Data Science events as well: we’ll be co-hosting a conference watch party in collaboration with the School of Computer and Data Science, and we will be participating in the Datathon. More info to come! 

Workshops 

Install Help Desk 

February 5, 1-4 PM 

Are you taking classes this term that will require specialized software? Swing by the DREAM Lab to get help from Data Services with installations ahead of classes and workshops! Software we can help with includes R/RStudio, Python/Jupyter Notebooks, Anaconda, VS Code, Zotero, GIS/spatial data, Docker, and SPSS. 

Learn More Here! 

Introduction to Python 

Mondays & Wednesdays, 1-2 pm 

Begins January 15 

This eight-session workshop will introduce you to the fundamentals of programming in Python. This course is intended for absolute beginners or anyone wanting to review the basics. This series lays the foundation for attendees to understand Python code and begin writing scripts that apply to their work.  

  1. Setup & Python Fundamentals (January 15) 
  1. Analyzing Data with Python (January 17) 
  1. Visualizing Data with Python (January 22) 
  1. Lists and Loops in Python (January 24) 
  1. If, Else, and Functions in Python (January 29) 
  1. Troubleshooting and Testing (January 31) 
  1. Debugging (February 5) 
  1. Python on the Command Line (February 7) 

Learn More and Register for Intro to Python Here! 

Introduction to R 

Tuesdays & Thursdays 2-3 pm 

Begins January 16 

Are you interested in using R and RStudio but unsure where to start? This workshop is for you! 

This eight-session workshop will introduce you to the fundamentals of using R! This course is intended for absolute beginners or anyone wanting to review the basics.  

  1. Intro to R and Rstudio (January 16) 
  1. Getting started with R Part 1  (January 18) 
  1. Getting started with R Part 2  (January 23) 
  1. Data visualization with R & ggplot  (January 25) 
  1. Functions Explained  (January 30) 
  1. Working with Data in R part 1  (February 1) 
  1. Working with Data in R part 2  (February 6) 
  1. Reproducible reports with R & Rmarkdown  (February 8) 

Learn More and Register for Intro to R Here! 

Command Line Essentials: The Unix Shell and Bash 

Friday, January 19 2-4 pm 

Learning to code? Working in a computer lab for the first time? Open to students and faculty across disciplines, this hybrid workshop teaches the fundamentals of the Unix shell, command line interfaces, filesystem navigation, and simple scripts in Bash. Competency with the command line is required to develop software collaboratively and at scale; this course can be considered a prerequisite to writing scripts effectively in your programming language of choice. No prior experience with Unix or programming is required. 

Learn More and Register for Command Line Essentials Here! 

Introduction to Qualtrics 

February 20 & 22, Noon –2pm 

If you are conducting surveys, then you will want to learn all about Qualtrics!  

Qualtrics is a popular and powerful tool used for conducting web-based surveys and data collection. This workshop will introduce the basic guidelines of online data collection, set up a project in Qualtrics, and what to do with the data you collect. Participants will learn how to set up a survey in Qualtrics, the various question types available, share and collaborate on survey projects, and the options available for exporting the data. This workshop is presented by Cameron Mulder, a member of Data Services with over 10 years of experience conducting surveys with the Portland State University Survey Research Lab. 

Learn More and Register for Intro to Qualtrics Here! 

Events 

Talking Data 

Thursdays, 4-5 pm 

Join us in the DREAM Lab Sofa Area on Thursdays at 4pm during the Winter Term to learn and talk about issues and ideas in data, programming, statistical analysis, and data science. Each Thursday we will watch a 30 minute presentation followed by conversation. This presentation may be a pre-recorded talk with discussion questions, or it may be a live presentation followed by Q&A. Tea will be served. Feel free to attend the whole series, or just the ones that interest you! 

  • Issues with Data Anonymity (January 11) 
  • Data Feminism (January 18) 
  • Getting the Most from Git (January 25) 
  • Neuroscience, AI & Education (February 1) 
  • Racial Bias in Tech (February 8) 
  • Machine Learning for Biodiversity (February 15) 
  • Generative Art (February 22) 
  • Capturing & Visualizing Motion (February 19) 
  • Gender Bias in AI (March 7) 
  • Getting Started with Quarto (March 14) 

Learn More and Register for Talking Data Here! 

Coffee + Data && Code 

Every other Friday, 1-2 pm 

An informal and space for presentations and conversations about topics in data science! People of all skill levels and backgrounds attend to explore interesting topics, learn new tips and tricks and get to know other people interested in coding. We will be meeting in-person in the Sofa area of the DREAM Lab in Knight Library. Coffee and cookings will be provided. Attendees will also have the option to join via Zoom. This is an opportunity to learn new data analysis and programming skills and meet other people working on exciting projects. 

Learn More and Register for Coffee + Data && Code Here! 

Data Bookclub: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men 

Every Other Friday, 1-2 pm 

Embark on a captivating exploration of data bias and its far-reaching implications with this term’s Data Book Club. This winter, we’re delving into Caroline Criado Perez’s “Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men.” Join us in unraveling the complexities of gender data bias, shedding light on its pervasive influence across various facets of society.  

Through Perez’s meticulous research, we’ll uncover how seemingly impartial data can reinforce inequalities in areas such as healthcare and urban planning. “Invisible Women” challenges us to question existing norms and advocate for a more equitable future.  

Learn More and Register for Data Bookclub: Invisible Women Here! 

Coding Circle 

Fridays, 2-4 pm 

Drop in to our informal and inclusive co-working sessions for anyone working with data or code! There’s no presentation or formal workshop, just hanging out and working on projects while we finish the cookies from Coffee + Data && Code. Data Services folks with expertise in Python, R, and Excel will be on hand to answer questions, but we equally invite you to share your expertise with and learn from other attendees. This is an opportunity to learn new data analysis and programming skills and meet other people working on exciting projects! 

Learn More about Coding Circle and register Here! 

Introducing the Data Services Team: Meet Hunter Wright, Quantitative Peer Consultant

This is a continuation of a series of posts introducing the Data Services team!

Peer Consultants meet with students, lead workshops, and bring energy and inspiration to our work. Quantitative Peer Consultant Hunter Wright is a junior majoring in Economics. His interests include data visualization, data analysis, and the programming language R. Hunter can assist you with R programming, regression analysis, and other statistics problems.

Introducing the Data Services Team: Meet William Grossman, Quantitative Peer Consultant

Welcome back to another post in our series introducing the Data Services team!

Peer Consultants meet with students, lead workshops, and bring energy and inspiration to our work. Quantitative Peer Consultant William Grossman is a graduate student in the Economics program. William can assist you with R programming, data visualization, and regression analysis.

Introducing the Data Services Team: Meet Fedi Aniefuna, Quantitative Peer Consultant

Welcome to a series of posts introducing the Data Services team!

Peer Consultants meet with students, lead workshops, and bring energy and inspiration to our work. Quantitative Peer Consultant Fedi Aniefuna is a senior double majoring in Math and Computer Science. After graduation, he will be starting a job with Amazon as a Systems Developer Engineer. Fedi can assist you with Python programming, data cleaning, troubleshooting, git/GitHub, command line, and working with files and directories.