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Love Data Week!Love Data Week (LDW) is an international social media event coordinated by research data specialists, mostly working in academic and research libraries or data archives or centers and hosted by ICPSR.

 

International Love Data Week

Love Data Week 2023 is February 13th - 17th.

#LoveData23

This year's theme is Data: Agent of ChangeLove Data Week is about inspiring your community to use data to bring about changes that matter. Policy change, environmental change, social change... we can move mountains with the right data guiding our decisions. This year, we are focused on helping new and seasoned data users find data training and other resources that can help move the needle on the issues they care about.

Ways to Celebrate Love Data Week 2023

All workshops are open to students, faculty and staff. You can access the complete list of workshops being offered here

Monday, 2/13

Data Visualization in R using ggplot2 - 10:30 a.m. |online | hosted by The Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship at McMaster University

This virtual workshop will provide an introduction to ggplot2, an open-source data visualization package for the statistical programming language R. This workshop will go over basic tips for creating visualizations and customizing the design of those graphs. A basic familiarity with R will be helpful for this workshop.

Organizing Your Data - 12:00 p.m. | online | hosted by McGill University

Whether you conduct research individually or as part of a collaborative group or lab, this workshop will provide attendees with practical tips and examples on how to organize data across files and folders. Attendees will learn how to set up folders according to a logical schema, create README documentation to map out folder hierarchies, and implement a file naming convention. Attendees will also have a chance to discuss discipline-specific issues related to organizing data actively during the research process. Please note: even if you do not work with data, we encourage anyone with interest in organizing research outputs to attend, as this could be relevant or applicable.

Data for Social Good (panel) - 1:00 p.m. | online | hosted by University of North Carolina-Wilmington

Data can be used to bring about changes that matter. In addition to its use in research that is published, read, and added to amongst scholars, it can be used to advocate for policy changes, environmental changes, social changes, and more. It can be used for engaging with the local community, or improving state and national economy, or for moving towards global social justice. Hear from various researchers about how they have used data to make an impact on society. They will reflect upon how they first recognized what impact their data could have, and how they then worked towards turning that data into a form to be practically used beyond academia.


Tuesday, 2/14 

Introduction to Working with Data in Excel - 12:00 p.m. | online | hosted by McGill University

This 2 hour hands-on workshop will introduce you to Microsoft Excel (2016 version) through practical exercises using real-world data. You will gain an overview of the uses and types of data that can be manipulated in Excel, learn important terminology, common calculations and built-in functions, sorting and filtering data, additional data analysis tools, and create compelling visualizations of data. From this session, participants will gain an introductory level proficiency in Excel and basic data analysis skills.
No prior experience with Excel or data analysis is necessary.

Introduction to Data Visualization - 4:00 p.m. | online | hosted by McGill University

This workshop will provide attendees with an overview of the best practices and concepts in creating data visualizations. Attendees will learn about the key parts of a data visualization, visual principles/properties, types of data visualizations and examples, and how to approach visualizations with a critical eye. Attendees will participate in hands-on activities to learn about selecting the appropriate visualization for different types of data.


Wednesday, 2/15

What are ORCiDs and DOIs--and Why Do I Need Them? -  10:30 a.m. | online | hosted by The Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship at McMaster University

While some fields and researchers have actively incorporated persistent identifiers (PIDs) for many years now, others rely on interpersonal networks and personal websites to connect their research. This workshop will give you skills to augment those important connections with PIDs.
Some might have received a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for an article published in a journal, but they can also be used to share data (field notes, methods, audio recordings, code), connected to a website, or associated with an artwork. An Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCiD) is a unique link where you can connect to all your expansive scholarly output—datasets, articles, exhibitions, projects, interviews, education, residencies, and more.
Used together, PIDs can help you find new collaborators across disciplines, recognize the breadth of your work beyond journals, and allow you to connect to your research practice over time.

Present Real-Time Analytics with ArcGIS Dashboards - 12:00 p.m. | online | hosted by Villanova University

A dashboard is a view of information and data that allows you to monitor events, make decisions, inform others, and see trends. ArcGIS Dashboards enables users to convey information by presenting location-based analytics using intuitive and interactive data visualizations on a single screen. Join Michele Gandy, GIS Lab Manager in the Department of Geography and the Environment, and learn how to create these informative dashboards with your own data.

Introduction to Web Scraping Tools - 2:30 p.m. | online | hosted by Connecticut College

This workshop will introduce several web scraping tools that allow you to extract and analyze data from Twitter and any websites that allow scraping. Participants will learn about the use cases for web scraping and the transformative power of no-to-low-code tools in the data gathering process, as well as what is possible with some Python coding skills.


Thursday, 2/16

Survival Skills: Keep Your Research Safe with Backups - 12:30 p.m. | online | hosted by University of Oklahoma Libraries

By the end of Keep Your Research Safe with Backups, learners should be able to:

understand what files should be backed up
understand the 3-2-1 backup rule
be able to decide the right backup frequency for your content
be able to choose the right backup medium for your content

This workshop is for complete beginners and does not require bringing a computer; we will go over concepts through a presentation and group discussions.

Help! I Need to Find a Dataset! - 1:15 pm | online | hosted by Connecticut College

Are you looking for a dataset for a research project and have no idea where to begin? This session will introduce you to tools that canvas data basics topics such as finding statistics to answer a research question, evaluating datasets, and interpreting and using data. In addition, you'll become acquainted with both library and open access resources for accessing datasets on a variety of subject areas.

Science Communication Using Data Storytelling - 3:00 p.m. | online | hosted by University of North Carolina-Wilmington

Science communication is, in essence, the practice of describing to others about the research you do. One effective method is through data storytelling-- incorporating graphs and visualizations into a narrative to convey specific insights from your results. Science communication is a vital skill that can be used to drive practical change and clarify meaning about a research topic, and especially to engage with public audiences and scholars unfamiliar with your research. Researchers at UNCW will describe their experiences about how they have effectively communicated their own research to various audiences with the use of figures, visualizations, infographics, and other data objects. This panel will thus offer several disciplinary perspectives about what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to wrangling a research project into a concise, clear narrative.


Friday, 2/17

Survival skills: File storage and collaboration with OSF - 12:00 | online | hosted by University of Oklahoma Libraries

OSF helps you store, organize, document, and share your research projects, data, and files. OSF is useful to scholars from all disciplines and all levels: students, instructors, PIs. Access all your files Connect files from various platforms (like Google Drive, Dropbox, and GitHub) so that all are accessible from a single, central web platform with flexible privacy options and permanent digital identifiers (DOIs) available for journal submissions or compliance with data management plans (DMP). Record details of your project such as methods, data sources, and citations and preserve drafts of your files for user-friendly version control.
After this workshop, you should

Understand how to use this free, reliable non-profit service for collaboration, storage, and DOIs
Have an OSF profile and project started and ready to use

This workshop is for beginners. Please bring a computer or tablet able to access a web browser. Workshop curriculum is available at https://osf.io/4ub7m/.

Becoming a Snake Charmer Intro to Python - 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | online | hosted by National Library of Medicine

This workshop introduces participants to the foundations of the Python programming language. From data types to indexing principles, the learning objectives explored in this workshop will provide a starting point for those interested in integrating Python into their data workflows.

Adopt a Dataset

 

ICPSR's Adopt a Dataset program is free and open to the public. Seasoned researchers, nonprofit staff members, undergraduate students, and anyone else who wants to learn about data is encouraged to adopt a dataset from the list below. 

 

What does it mean to adopt a dataset?

Adopting a dataset is kind of like adopting a dog, except less messy. Get started by reviewing the list of datasets below to find something of interest to you. Fill out the Dataset Adoption Form, and then download, analyze online, or just review the summary information for your adopted data. Your role is to bring your dataset to life by learning about the information it contains and to share the information you're learning through email, social media, virtual meetings, and more.  Use the images and templates below to get started.

When you fill out your Dataset Adoption Form, you can expect to feel warm fuzzies and a deep sense of pride. You'll receive a digital Certificate of Adoption and, if you choose, your name will appear on the Adopt a Dataset Wall of Honor, along with others who have adopted their own datasets.

 

Datacite

DataCite is a leading global non-profit organization that provides persistent identifiers (DOIs) for research data and other research outputs. Organizations within the research community join DataCite as members to be able to assign DOIs to all their research outputs. This way, their outputs become discoverable and associated metadata is made available to the community.

DataOne

DataONE is a community driven project providing access to data across multiple member repositories, supporting enhanced search and discovery of Earth and environmental data.

The Dataverse Project

Dataverse is an open source web application to share, preserve, cite, explore, and analyze research data. It facilitates making data available to others, and allows you to replicate others' work more easily. Researchers, journals, data authors, publishers, data distributors, and affiliated institutions all receive academic credit and web visibility.

Digital Commons @ Connecticut College

Connecticut College’s electronic archive, housing published and unpublished work by faculty and students as well as publications of College departments and offices. Digital Commons provides electronic preservation and persistent access worldwide to the scholarly and creative works of the College community.

Dryad Digital Repository

The Dryad Digital Repository is a curated resource that makes research data discoverable, freely reusable, and citable. Dryad provides a general-purpose home for a wide diversity of data types.

Figshare

Figshare allows users to upload any file format to be previewed in the browser so that any research output, from posters and presentations to datasets and code, can be disseminated in a way that the current scholarly publishing model does not allow

Generalist Repository Comparison Chart Comparison Group  

Designed to assist researchers in finding a generalist repository should no domain repository be available to preserve their research data. Generalist repositories accept data regardless of data type, format, content, or disciplinary focus.

Github

GitHub is a development platform inspired by the way you work. From open source to business, you can host and review code, manage projects, and build software alongside 40 million developers.

When it comes to data analysis, I Excel.
I just love data! Data is my favorite!
I was told that I'd be doing fun, data science things.
You want data? Here's your data!
Should I go with my instincts? Or follow the data?
Data... data everywhere...

We want you to participateShare your experiences, learn from others, and find out about new resources. 

  • Follow @shainlibrary on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook
  • Follow #LoveData23 on Twitter to stay up-to-date on the latest international data-related shenanigans.
  • Stop by the Reference Desk to participate in the Love Data Week Daily Challenge!
  • Check out a webinar or online event that explores a topic related to this year's theme.
  • Take part in some fun & games by adopting a dataset from ICPSR or playing an online game!