Workshops

The Data Labs, TTS Research Technology, Digital Design Studio (DDS)Tisch LibraryGinn Library, Hirsh Health Sciences Library the StAAR Center, and the Data-Intensive Studies Center (DISC) provide a variety of workshops on geospatial technologies, statistics, data science, programming, media & design, digital humanities, and advanced computing.

Workshops are offered in a variety of online and hybrid formats. Registration is required for most sessions. Please use the calendar below to explore upcoming offerings or click here for a list view.

Workshops listed are open to the Tufts community. Please contact the Data Lab at DataLab-Support@elist.tufts.edu to schedule a specialty workshop for a class, lab, or other collective.

In-Person & Online Workshops

Hover over a workshop in the calendar for details. Click on an event for registration and additional information.


Past Workshops

Video recordings and links to available downloads for selected Data Lab workshops are provided below. Click the play button on the embedded video to start watching. For questions or comments, please contact DataLab-support@elist.tufts.edu


Asynchronous Workshops

Are you looking to explore software at your own pace, whenever you want to learn? Please see below for a list of asynchronous workshops, which you can use right from your internet browser. All of the links below will open in a new tab.

You can also check out Tufts Udemy for more trainings, and the Data Lab Data Science Learning Resources or Data Lab GIS Learning Resources page for curated materials.

Introduction to R

An introductory R workshop that is suitable for self-guided study and covers the following:

  • Variables and datatypes
  • Working with vectors (arrays) and lists
  • Commands for descriptive statistics
  • packages and the tidyverse
  • Reading data from a file
  • Working with data frames
  • Basic data wrangling (cleaning)
  • Creating and tweaking visualizations

Link: https://go.tufts.edu/introR


R for Data Manipulation and Visualization

This provides an introduction to loading, manipulating, and cleaning data using the statistical programming language R.

Additional skills in data visualization will be covered.

Link: https://tuftsdatalab.github.io/r-data-viz


Introduction to Python

Would you like to learn about Python. This is an introductory Python workshop that is suitable for self-guided study and covers the following:

  • Variables and datatypes
  • Basic arithmetic and string manipulation
  • Working with listsdictionaries, and tuples
  • What are functions and how to write your own
  • Using loops and list comprehensions
  • Control flow with conditional statements
  • The difference between copies and views
  • Reading technical documentation
  • Importing and using Python libraries


Link: https://go.tufts.edu/introPython


Introduction to Numpy

Would you like to learn how to use the numpy package for scientific computing?

  • Importing Python packages and common aliases
  • The NumPy numpy.ndarray a.k.a. np.array data structure
  • Different ways of creatingindexing, and slicing NumPy arrays
  • Broadcasting and using mathematical operators with np.array
  • Universal functions and aggregation functions
  • Iterating and mapping over elements in NumPy arrays
  • Row-major vs column-major order and array flattening
  • Shape manipulation and the difference between copies and views
  • Various options for importing and exporting NumPy arrays
  • Tweaking the textual representation of numbers using format strings
  • Reading files with Python using with and open()
  • Quick overview of creating and styling plots with Matplotlib
  • Creating a figure with multiple subplots in Matplotlib


Link: https://tuftsdatalab.github.io/intro-numpy/


Recorded Workshops

Intro to GIS using ArcMap

Interested in learning the basics of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using ESRI ArcMap? This workshop covers introductory concepts of GIS including how GIS works, who is using GIS and the difference between the GIS software. There is a hands on activity which includes adding and symbologizing data, understanding and querying the attribute table, and creating a final static map product for publication with all required map elements. Total time = 1.5 hours.

Workshop data, slides, and material are provided at this link.

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Intro to GIS using QGIS

Wouldn’t it be great if ArcMap was less expensive, open source, and more versatile? Never fear, QGIS is here! QGIS is a free, open-source software that allows you to create, edit, visualize, analyze and publish geospatial information on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. This workshop will cover introductory GIS concepts using QGIS. In this intro workshop, you’ll learn how to stylize layers, make selections, set your projection, and create a final map composition in QGIS.

Workshop data, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Intro to Web Mapping using ArcGIS Online

In today’s day in age, static paper maps can only get you so far. Online web-maps allow viewers to engage with spatial data in an interactive manner, allowing for more in depth analysis and storytelling. In this introductory workshop, we will learn how to use ArcGIS Online to add layers to the map, style the map, configure pop-ups to make your map features informative, and present your map with a finished look and a nice user experience for mobile applications or embedding into websites. .

Workshop data, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Story Maps: Not Your Average Presentation

Sick of using only PowerPoint to make presentations? Esri Story Maps are web applications that let authors combine beautiful, interactive maps with narrative text, striking images, and multimedia including videos. Impress your professors, bosses or friends with these attractive and easy to use web-applications while bringing your story to life. Story Maps can be embedded in web pages or exist as a standalone application and truly up your presentation game!

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


A Gentle Introduction to R

This workshop is designed to get you started with the statistical programming language R. We provide an overview of the R language along with the RStudio interface. During the session, we will introduce importing data, performing descriptive statistics, and making simple visualizations to get you familiar with working in R. This workshop is suitable for those who have not worked with R/RStudio before. No previous statistical experience is required for this session. 

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Embrace the do file: STATA Basics

This workshop is designed to get you familiar with the Stata. We provide an overview of Stata interface and basic functions. During the session, we introduce some descriptive statistics commands and recoding commands to help you gain familiarity with Stata syntax. This workshop is suitable for those who have not worked with Stata before or those seeking a refresher session. 

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Unlocking Qualitative Data with NVivo 

Learn to systematically organize, code, and interpret qualitative data – data that are words, images, texts, video, and more – using NVivo.

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Data Visualization & Tableau

Charts, graphs, maps, and infographics are a great way to communicate research, but not all visualizations are created equal. In this workshop, we will talk about the ways that you can create truthful and effective visualizations and look at a series of examples to see how visualizations can go terribly wrong. We will also start to work with Tableau to make attractive visualizations.

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Web-scraping and NLTK

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


A Short Introduction to Statistics

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Programming in Python

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.

Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Data Science 101


Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.


Statistics in R: Intermediate Level Survey Analysis


Workshop code, slides, and material are provided at this link.