We are excited to announce the upcoming TXST University Libraries Research Data Services (RDS) Workshop Series designed to enhance your knowledge and skills in data analysis and visualization using a variety of powerful tools. These workshops are ideal for students, faculty, and staff who are eager to explore different methods of managing, analyzing, and visualizing data. Whether you are new to data analysis or looking to advance your skills, these workshops will help you navigate and leverage data management, analysis, and visualization tools to drive meaningful insights and informed decisions. Click on the topic titles below to register for each workshop.
Series Workshop Topics:
Introduction to Data Analysis & Visualization in PowerBI (9/16)
Join us for an engaging and hands-on Power BI workshop designed specifically for beginners, including those with no technical background. This workshop will introduce you to the fundamentals of Power BI, a powerful data visualization tool that enables you to transform raw data into meaningful insights.
Introduction to ArcGIS StoryMapping (9/19)
This workshop introduces you to the world of ArcGIS StoryMap: a web platform that allows users to “combine maps with narrative text, images, and multimedia content. They make it easy to harness the power of maps and geography to tell your story”. The workshop is open to all with no prior knowledge in GIS or those who will like to refreshen their knowledge after a long break from learning GIS. It is hands-on so attendees will have the opportunity to create their own StoryMaps.
This introduction to R is tailored for beginners eager to dive into data analysis with this powerful tool. This workshop will cover the essentials, including how to perform simple operations and explore basic R structures such as variables and functions. We will walk you through the core concepts of managing a workspace in an interactive R session. By the end of this session, you’ll have the foundational skills needed to get started in R, including: Understanding the purpose and use of each pane in RStudio; Locating buttons and options in RStudio; Defining and assigning data to variables; Using mathematical and comparison operators; and Managing packages effectively.
Basic Data Visualization with ggplot2 in R (9/27)
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to create a variety of data visualizations using the powerful ggplot package in R. By the end of the session, you will be able to produce scatter plots, boxplots, and barplots, set universal plot settings, and apply faceting to efficiently display data subsets. Additionally, you will explore how to modify plot aesthetics, such as axis labels and colors, and build complex, customized plots from data in a data frame. This workshop is ideal for beginners looking to enhance their data visualization skills in R.
This workshop introduces you to IBM SPSS Statistics, a program that can assist users with analyzing, organizing, and visualizing data. Attendees will learn about the capabilities of SPSS, its basic functions, and how to import/enter data into SPSS for analysis. This workshop is open to all skillsets and comfortability with SPSS or data analysis programs. Attendees will have the opportunity to follow along in their own SPSS windows and test functions.
Basic Data Visualization in SPSS (10/10)
IBM SPSS Statistics is a program that can assist users with analyzing, organizing, and visualizing data. Attendees will learn how to prepare data for visualization, run a basic frequency/descriptive analysis, and create visual representations of their analysis. This workshop is open to all skillsets and comfortability with SPSS or data analysis programs. Attendees will have the opportunity to follow along in their own SPSS windows and test functions.
Introduction to Python 101 (10/18)
This will be an engaging introduction to Python programming, designed for beginners eager to dive into the world of coding. This session will cover the essentials of Python, including creating variables and understanding data types. You’ll learn how to perform simple operations and explore basic Python data structures such as lists and dictionaries. We’ll delve into the core concepts of zero indexing and the range function, as well as implementing basic flow controls using if…else…, while, and for loops.
Introduction to GIS (10/22) New Online Section Added!!
This workshop is an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a tool for integrating and analyzing spatial data to visualize relationships, seek explanations and develop solutions to pressing problems.
Basic Data Visualization in Python (10/24)
Enhance your data analysis skills with our session on basic data visualization using Python. This workshop will guide you through creating compelling visualizations to make sense of your data. You’ll learn how to generate simple plots using Pandas and customize them with Matplotlib’s Pyplot library. We’ll explore how to create different types of visualizations, including boxplots, histograms, and scatterplots. Additionally, the session will cover data visualization in various fields, providing you with the versatility to apply these skills in different contexts. By the end of this session, you’ll have the confidence to turn data into insightful visuals that can inform decision-making.
Exploring SimplyAnalytics for Mapping (11/14) New Online Section Added!
SimplyAnalytics is a web-based data visualization application that can help you create professional-quality thematic maps, datasets, and reports using extensive data on demographics, consumers, real estate, housing, employment, crime, health, and more. The inside data includes MRI-Simmons consumer survey data, Claritas PRIZM Premier consumer segments, Nielsen Scarborough local insights, consumer expenditures and buying power, as well as public data sources such as the U.S. Census, American Community Survey, FBI uniform crime reports, NOAA climate data, and CDC health data. It’s a handy tool for socio-demographic use.
This article was contributed by UL Data Curation Specialist Xuan Zhou.