Skills Series

Data Literacy

PhD Plus offers two workshop series, focusing on two commonly used languages, R and Python, aim to help PhD students and Postdocs in all disciplines to acquire foundational skills in using these languages for data wrangling, analysis, visualization, and more. Python series takes place every Fall and R series in the Spring. Both series intend to prepare trainees for a variety of careers, such as research (faculty, research analysts) and professional sectors that rely on data analytics, data science, data management, and data visualization/storytelling. The skills training module is developed and offered in collaboration with the UVA Library’s Research Data Services, Data Services at the Health Sciences Library, and UVA Research Computing. 

Data Literacy: Manage Your Research Data

Spring 2023 workshop date: Jan 26, Thursday, 12-1:30 PM (ET) | Virtual

We offer a new workshop on data management in partnership with the UVA Health Sciences Library at the beginning of each semester to help PhD students and Postdocs be better oriented in research projects and programming. We strongly recommend attendees of all disciplinary backgrounds attend this workshop before engaging in Python or R series. 

This session will make your life easier by adopting good data practices now. Using real-life examples, this 90-minute interactive workshop will cover:

  • Recommended approaches to data organization, versioning, documentation, and storage
  • “Tidy data” practices to enable efficient data entry, preparation, and analysis 
  • UVA research data support services and resources

Instructors

Andrea H. Denton, M.I.L.S. - Research and Data Services Manager, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library
Lucy Carr Jones, M.S.I.S. - Library Assistant, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library

 

DATA LITERACY: R

PhD Plus Data Literacy: R seminars are offered every Spring semester. This series is developed through collaboration with UVA Library's Research Data Services Group. Seminars are scheduled to meet weekly through lecturing, hands-on exercises, and discussions to help participants become familiar and comfortable in using R for research activities and working with data. Upon successful completion of this series, PhD students are eligible for a non-credit credential (PhDP 9520) in their academic transcript. 

Typical Topics 

PhD+ Data Literacy in R will be offered again in Spring 2023 from February 22 to April 5 (no workshop during Spring Break). Registration is now open. 

Instructors

Clay Ford, Senior Research Data Scientist, Research Data Services, UVA Library

David Martin, Clinical Research Data Specialist, UVA Health Sciences Library

Jennifer Huck, Data Librarian, Research Data Services, UVA Library

Jacob Goldstein-Greenwood, Research Data Scientist, UVA Library

 

DATA LITERACY: PYTHON

Python is a popular language widely used for data analysis and machine learning. This PhD+ series will introduce students to programming in the language. The sessions will be taught in a "flipped classroom" manner: students will study learning materials prior to each session and come to online workshop sessions via Zoom for questions and receive instructors’ assistance with programming projects. 

The UVA Library’s Research Data Services Team and Research Computing are partnering with UVA’s PhD Plus program to offer – Introduction to Programming in Python, a series to build data analysis skills. For Fall 2022, the participants will have access to pre-recorded lectures and the opportunity to meet with instructors during weekly "office hours" for questions and answers over Zoom. The whole series through lecturing, hands-on exercises, and discussions aims to help participants become familiar and comfortable with using Python for research activities and working with data. The live discussions will be offered every Tuesday beginning September 20 to October 18, 2022. Attendees will be expected to turn in homework assignments per session in order to get credit. Upon successful completion of this series, PhD students are eligible for a non-credit credential (PhDP 9530) in their academic transcript. 

Typical Topics 

  • Introduction to Python
  • Data types, data input and output, and organizing codes
  • Data analysis and visualization

Session Dates

Tuesday, 4-5:30 PM (virtual) | Sep 20, Sep 27, October 4, October 11, October 18, 2022

Instructors

Katherine Holcomb - Senior Research Systems Consultant

Erich Purpur - Science and Engineering Librarian

Registration is closed on Sep 12, 2022, due to capacity. 

Please check https://data.library.virginia.edu/training/ for more python training or enroll in Fall 2023 through PhD Plus.

 

Statistical Analysis in R (Pilot Offering in Fall 2022)

This series is developed through collaboration with UVA Health’s Health Sciences Library. Sessions are scheduled to meet weekly through lecturing, hands-on exercises, and group discussions to help participants become familiar and comfortable conducting statistical analyses in R. Upon successful completion of this series, PhD students are eligible for a non-credit credential on their academic transcript (*required attendance for at least 4 out of 5 synchronous sessions). 

In this series, participants will learn to conduct and interpret output from basic statistical approaches using the statistical programming language, R. Using real research data from the life sciences, we will introduce the concept of each technique, discuss its assumptions, learn what to do when assumptions are not met, evaluate the model fit, interpret the output, and visualize the results. Participants from any discipline are welcome to register and attend. While the examples are drawn from life sciences research, participants will be able to conduct analysis and apply learning to data on any topic.

Participants should commit to attend at least the first three sessions to lay the foundation for the later sessions. Sessions will be recorded to accommodate occasional absence. However, participants must be available to attend live sessions to qualify for the PhD+ non-credit credential.

Pre-Requisite

Participants MUST have working knowledge of R and RStudio, preferably with previous experience using tidyverse packages (dplyr and ggplot2). This series’ pre-requisite may be met through any of the following:

  • Attendance at Health Sciences Library’s 4 workshops in R (offered monthly)
  • Participation in at least 3 sessions of PhDPlus Data Literacy in R series (offered Spring semester annually)
  • Participation in Brain Immunology and Glia Center Learn R series (offered Fall annually)
  • Completion of a curricular course using R (within the past 3 years)
  • Independent learning of R and instructor approval

Session Dates

Virtual format Oct 19, Oct 26, Nov 2, Nov 9, Nov 16 (Wednesdays), 10 am – 12 pm (ET)

* Registration closes on Oct 14, and instructors will evaluate prerequisites and make announcements by Oct 17.

Please hold dates on your calendar after registration. If your availability has changed, please email Dr. Yi Hao ([email protected]) immediately.

Typical Topics 

  • Linear regression
  • ANOVA
  • Assumptions of linear regression
  • Logistic regression
  • Linear mixed effects models

Instructor

Marieke Jones, Research Data Specialist, UVA Health Sciences Library

Registration Link

* Registration closes on Oct 14, and instructors will evaluate prerequisites and make announcements by Oct 17.