CCDHHN

Les éditathons Wikipédia comme mode de création de communauté with Pascale Dangoisse (University of Ottawa and Wikipedia)
2025-10-15 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Halifax) | University of Ottawa, 50 University Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
Date: October 15 2026

Cette séance d’introduction pratique explore comment les marathons d’édition Wikipédia peuvent devenir des leviers puissants pour créer des communautés et promouvoir l’équité des savoirs. La séance démystifiera le processus de contribution à Wikipédia tout en soulignant son importance — notamment pour mieux représenter les groupes marginalisés. Nous aborderons la valeur du savoir libre et ouvert, les biais systémiques dans le contenu existant, ainsi que la manière dont l’édition collective peut devenir à la fois une stratégie pédagogique et une forme d’activisme. Que vous soyez néophyte ou intéressé·e à intégrer Wikipédia à votre enseignement ou votre recherche, cette séance vous outillera pour participer activement à la construction d’un bien commun numérique plus inclusif. [option virtuelle disponible]

Les recherches doctorales de Pascale Dangoisse (Wikipédia et Université d’Ottawa) se sont intéressées à la compréhension de la persistance de la discrimination systémique dans des environnements politiques libéraux ou progressistes. Elle a obtenu une bourse de recherche postdoctoral au Laboratoire en humanités numériques de l’Université d’Ottawa, où elle a travaillé sur le projet Lesbian and Gay Liberation Canada, dirigé par Constance Crompton. Dans le cadre de ses fonctions comme chargée de programmes pour Wikimédia Canada, elle soutient les Wikimédiennes et Wikimédiens au Canada en planifiant et en mettant en œuvre divers programmes et projets qui soutiennent la construction d’un bien commun numérique plus inclusif.

Introduction to the Unix Shell
2025-10-15 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 15 2025

Instructor: Kendra Oudyk

This workshop will introduce the Unix shell, a powerful way to communicate with your computer more directly through a command line interface. There are many ways to interact with a computer. Most of the time we click on things and select options with a cursor through a graphical user interface (GUI). A command line is exactly what it sounds like, a way of writing commands to your computer line by line and is incredibly powerful. In this workshop we will show you how to navigate through different parts of your system and introduce some of the most useful commands to be aware of.

No previous experience with the command line is required. This workshop is for beginners.

Pre-workshop setup

Please have a laptop ready for this workshop. We will be using the Unix shell for most of the workshop. If you have a Mac or a Linux laptop you don’t need to install or enable anything. If you are using a Windows10 PC you will need to turn on the “Windows Subsystem for Linux” setting as per these instructions.

This workshop is part of the Core Skills series.

Data Bites - Creating a Data Dictionary for Research Projects
2025-10-15 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 15 2025

Instructors: Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Workshop: Creating a Data Dictionary for Research Projects

This practical workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, introduces the purpose and structure of a data dictionary to support clear, consistent, and reusable research data. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session emphasizes how data dictionaries enhance data documentation, sharing, and reuse.

Participants will learn how to:

Use templates and tools to build data dictionaries that promote transparency and reproducibility across research projects

Identify key components of a data dictionary, including variable names, definitions, formats, and units

Create and maintain a data dictionary that aligns with best practices and supports FAIR principles

Whisper it Out: Audio-to-Text Decoded
2025-10-16 00:00 - 23:59 | University of Ottawa, 50 University Private, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada
Date: October 16 2025

Do you have a lot of oral histories, interviews, podcast episodes, or other audio or video material you need to transcribe? Have you heard of Whisper and not sure how or what it is? In this workshop you will get an overview and walkthrough of generating transcripts with Whisper. [virtual option available]

Nick Ruest is a Senior Librarian in the Digital Scholarship Infrastructure Department at York University. At York University, he oversees the library’s preservation initiatives, along with creating and implementing systems that support the capture, description, delivery, and preservation of digital objects having significant content of enduring value.

Establishing and Maintaining Researcher Profiles
2025-10-21 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 21 2025

The ability to effectively track and express your research impact is an essential skill for today’s researchers. Profile tools like ORCID, Google Scholar, and McMaster Experts provide a valuable space to showcase your research outputs (from publications to datasets to creative works) and enable efficient workflows for demonstrating your impact. This workshop will guide researchers through the process of creating and maintaining researcher profiles — from initial setup to streamlined upkeep and generating basic impact reports.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Select the most appropriate research profile(s) for their needs.

Automate the initial population and maintenance of their research profile(s).

Generate basic research impact reports using profile data.

This session is ideal for researchers and graduate students interested in establishing an online presence and tracking the impact of their work.

Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This virtual workshop will be recorded and shared on the same page, and discoverable via the Sherman Centre’s Online Learning Catalogue.

Facilitator Bio:

Jack Young (he/him) is McMaster’s Research Impact Librarian, supporting the use of bibliometric data to enhance the reporting and strategic planning practices of the University’s academic departments, institutes, and researchers.

Sabrina Kirby (she/her) is the Research Technology Analyst for the McMaster Experts service, providing support to researchers and research administrations working with their Experts profiles and the varous systems and integrations that comprise McMaster Experts.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre’s certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.

Credit Eligibility: This workshop counts toward credit for students in the Faculty of Science who are enrolled in SCIENCE 2SF1: Digital Skills Workshop. For any questions, please contact oursci@mcmaster.ca.

Using AI Tools for Research Part I: Introduction to Generative AI Tools
2025-10-21 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: October 21 2025

Presenter: Sophie Bury, Ted Belke

Are you exploring and building your knowledge of generative AI tools? Are you interested in using them for research purposes? Do you find it confusing to determine when AI-based tools are useful and appropriate for conducting research for assignments and projects for courses? In this workshop, designed to introduce effective use of mainstream AI tools like ChatGPT, we will address these questions with demonstrations and hands-on practice. We will explain what generative AI is and how it works, focusing on free tools available to all York community members. The workshop will cover designing effective prompts, then move on to potential applications for student research, such as idea generation, information discovery, focusing a research topic or developing a search strategy . Finally, we will discuss the strengths and limitations of these tools for research, include some pointers on ethical and academic integrity considerations that apply at York University and provide strategies that can assist with verifying the quality and reliability of outputs generated. For a workshop that delves deeper into how to cite AI tools, and the ethical and academic integrity considerations associated with them, check out our sister workshop titled “Navigating Academic Integrity: Citing and Ethnical Considerations in the Age of ChatGPT”.

Makerspace orientations: Keychains and jewelry
2025-10-21 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: October 21 2025

Presenter: Jacob Turola

This session introduces participants to a blend of traditional and modern methods including 3D printing and laser cutting. Participants will see examples of suitable materials and get live demonstrations of our makerspace equipment. They will also be guided on selecting and attaching fittings and hooks. In a hands-on project, attendees will create unique jewelry pieces with expert assistance.

Learning to Love the Jaggies: Designing Bitmapped Fonts
2025-10-21 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 21 2025

Instructor: Reg Beatty

Early digital type designers were challenged by having a limited grid of pixels to create their letterforms for computers, handheld devices, video and arcade games. These blocky fonts were one of the distinguishing features of the 70s through the 90s and are mostly used today for a retro look.

Join Reg as he tours the variety and ingenuity of these early types. He’ll concentrate on two designers: Susan Kare, who created Chicago (which became a defining font for the look of the Macintosh computer); and Zuzana Licko who co-founded Emigre Fonts in 1985 and designed a number of widely-used pixel fonts. He’ll also look at how these designers were inspired by letterforms on textiles.

Reg will then demonstrate the process of making your own bitmapped font with BitFontMaker2.

For those of you that would like a more hands-on experience of the tool there will be a two hour workshop on Friday October 24 (see the following listing to register.)

Save Time Cleaning Your Data with OpenRefine
2025-10-22 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: October 22 2025

Presenter: Alexandra Wong and Rosa Orlandini

An important part of working with any data is properly preparing and cleaning your data, whether you have conducted a survey or have found secondary data! If you also find cleaning your data to correct errors or make formatting consistent to be a tedious and time-consuming (but very important) process, this workshop is for you. OpenRefine is a powerful, free and open-source tool for working with messy data. This workshop will teach you to use OpenRefine to effectively clean and format data and automatically track any changes that you make. Many people comment that this tool saves them literally months of work trying to make these edits by hand.

By the end of this hands-on workshop, participants will be able to:

Understand the kinds of challenges presented by raw data

Install and use the OpenRefine tool on your own computer

Use several time-saving techniques to cluster, clean, and process your data

No previous experience working with OpenRefine is required, though a familiarity with data is helpful. This workshop will take place in Scott530 with the OpenRefine software already installed. To use their own device, participants are encouraged to download OpenRefine prior to the workshop.

Creating High-Quality Documents with LaTeX
2025-10-23 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 23 2025

Want more control over how your documents look and function? LaTeX is an open-source typesetting system used to create clean, consistent, and professional documents. It’s especially helpful for working with complex formatting, citations, or mathematical content, and it’s a powerful tool for writing reports, articles, and long-form texts in any discipline.

In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll learn the building blocks of LaTeX, including how to format text, structure a document, and write equations. You’ll also walk through the process of creating your first LaTeX document from scratch.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Identify the basic structure and purpose of LaTeX documents

Format text and write mathematical equations using LaTeX commands

Create and compile a basic LaTeX document

This session is ideal for students, researchers, and writers in any field who want to explore LaTeX as a powerful alternative to traditional word processors—no prior experience required.

Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This virtual workshop will be recorded and shared on the same page, and discoverable via the Sherman Centre’s Online Learning Catalogue.

Facilitator Bio: John Fink is the Digital Scholarship Librarian in the Sherman Centre.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre’s certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.

Credit Eligibility: This workshop counts toward credit for students in the Faculty of Science who are enrolled in SCIENCE 2SF1: Digital Skills Workshop. For any questions, please contact oursci@mcmaster.ca.

Plugins in QGIS
2025-10-23 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 23 2025

Instructor: Lily Crandall-Oral

This intermediate-level workshop is meant to extend basic knowledge of QGIS by exploring common plugins. Familiarity of the QGIS is therefore a prerequisite. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to use plugins to

Access dynamic basemaps hosted on web servers

Query and download Open Street Map (OSM) data

Geocode address data from a spreadsheet, and

Create an interactive webmap from a QGIS project

Familiarity with GIS is prerequisite for this workshop.

This workshop is taught by a graduate student in Geography with expertise in GIS and cartographic methods.

Things to do before arriving:

QGIS is a free and open source desktop geographic information system (GIS). It can be installed on Windows, MacOS, and Linux using the download instructions here: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html.

Before attending, please download the most recent QGIS Long Term Release and review the Research Commons’ Introduction to QGIS.

Bitmapped Font Workshop: Using BitFontMaker2
2025-10-24 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 24 2025

Instructor: Reg Beatty

Join Reg in this two hour hands-on workshop on how to design a bitmapped font using BitFontMaker2. We’ll talk about the rudiments of type design, the specifics of pixel fonts, and how to publish and use your new font.

Using AI Tools for Research Part II: AI-Based Research Discovery & Workflow Tools
2025-10-28 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: October 28 2025

Presenter: Sophie Bury, Ted Belke

In the second part of our two-part series, we will cover AI-integrated research discovery and workflow tools. This sub-category of AI tools is growing exponentially in number and can be a valuable addition to any serious researcher’s toolkit. Promoting research effectiveness and workflows, leveraged by AI models that work with large datasets of scholarly information, they can help conduct literature reviews, generate literature maps or visualizations, summarize or analyze scholarly papers and more! We will explore a mix of free and freemium tools that range from the well-established to newly emerging and experimental. This workshop will also compare and contrast the above with library research tools, which themselves are beginning to integrate AI features. The strengths and limitations of these research discovery and workflow tools will be outlined and pointers on ethical and academic integrity guidelines that apply at York University will be explained. Finally, we will describe how to effectively use AI tools in tandem with the Library’s discovery tool, OMNI, and its many databases to yield best results For a workshop that delves deeper into how to cite AI tools, and the ethical and academic integrity considerations associated with them, check out our sister workshop titled “Navigating Academic Integrity: Citing and Ethnical Considerations in the Age of ChatGPT”.

Data Discovery for your Research: Social Sciences
2025-10-28 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: October 28 2025

Presenter: Rosa Orlandini & Alexandra Wong

Do you need to find published data to use in your research projects or assignments, and you don’t know where to start? We can help!

This practical workshop will be conducted by members of the York University Libraries’ Data Services Team. It will introduce various sources of data, such as Statistics Canada and international data producers. In addition we will explore strategies to locate and evaluate relevant datasets for research in the social sciences.

Data Bites - File Naming Best Practices for Research Data
2025-10-29 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 29 2025

Instructors: Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Workshop: File Naming Best Practices for Research Data

This practical workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, introduces strategies for consistent and meaningful file naming to support better research organization, collaboration, and long-term data reuse. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, this session helps participants avoid common pitfalls and adopt best practices in their research workflows.

Participants will learn how to:

Avoid problematic file names that can cause compatibility issues across platforms and systems

Apply clear and consistent file naming conventions

Incorporate elements like version control, dates, and identifiers for easy file tracking and retrieval

Building Project Websites with Jekyll and GitHub Pages
2025-10-29 00:00 - 23:59
Date: October 29 2025

Instructor: Kendra Oudyk

This workshop is meant to give you the skills to create and publish a static website using Jekyll and GitHub Pages. We’ll explore the default Jekyll installation setup and walk through the steps to publish a basic web site. We’ll cover the basic building blocks of Jekyll sites and discuss best practices for organizing your content. Finally, we’ll look at customizing your Jekyll site.

Prerequisites:

Some experience working with code syntax and code editors is helpful.

A GitHub.com account. We’ll use GitHub Pages to host our static site.

Some familiarity with working in a command line / Unix shell interface. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, please first start with this workshop: Intro to the Unix Shell.

Some familiarity with Git and GitHub. We’ll use Git and GitHub workflows to publish our site. If you’d like to learn more about Git and GitHub before going any further, please see this workshop: Intro to Git and GitHub.

Makerspace Orientations: Sewing Machines
2025-11-05 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: November 5 2025

Presenter: Jacob Turola

Get started with the makerspace sewing machines. We’ll demonstrate how to set up the machine and show you different stitch patterns. We’ll also go over how to make and find patterns as well as how to cut your fabric properly. Basic fabrics are provided but you’re encouraged to bring your own.

Data Bites - Choosing File Formats for Research Data
2025-11-05 00:00 - 23:59
Date: November 5 2025

Instructors: Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Workshop: Choosing File Formats for Research Data

This practical workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, explores how selecting the right file formats can support long-term preservation, data sharing, and reuse. Aimed at graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session highlights best practices for choosing formats that align with FAIR data principles.

Participants will learn how to:

Apply practical guidelines for selecting file formats throughout the research data lifecycle

Identify preferred file formats for preservation, sharing, and interoperability

Distinguish between proprietary and open formats and understand their implications

Introduction to Python: Part 1
2025-11-05 00:00 - 23:59 | The University of British Columbia, 1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V62 1Z2, Canada
Date: November 5th 2025

Instructor: Kendra Oudyk

This set of five workshops is an introduction to Python programming, with a focus on skills that are relevant to students and researchers who are working with data, particularly tabular data.

The five workshops cover the following:

Part 1: To understand the basics of Python syntax, variables, and data types.

Part 2: To learn how to work with tabular data in Python, including reading, manipulating, and visualizing data.

Part 3: To learn how to automate tasks in Python, including working with multiple files.

Part 4: To learn to use logic and modularity to make Python code flexible and reusable.

Part 5: To develop good habits for programming for research in Python, including handling errors, debugging, and writing reliable code.

Participants must sign up for each workshop individually. It is not necessary to sign up for the first workshop in order to do the second (and so on), but note that each workshop will build on the topics covered in previous workshops in this series.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites needed for this series; no prior programming experience is required.

Setup Instructions:

In these workshops, we will write Python code in a text editor called Visual Studio Code (VS Code).

Please follow the following steps/links to complete the setup for this workshop series before you attend:

Install a Python Interpreter

Install Visual Studio Code

Install the Python extension for VS Code. If you want more info on installing extensions for VS Code, see this page on their “Extension Marketplace”

Install this Python Debugger extension for VS Code

NOTE: You may use your own preferred text editor or Jupyter Notebooks to write code in these workshops, but keep in mind that some aspects may be unpredictably different from the way things appear on the instructor’s screen. For example, the instructor will frequently use the Python Debugger in VS Code, and other text editors may have entirely different mechanisms for debugging, and you may have to figure that out on your own. If you want to follow what the instructor is doing exactly, you should install VS Code and the extensions listed above.

Débogue tes humanités: Les systèmes d’exploitation
2025-11-06 00:00 - 23:59 | Université de Montréal, 3150 Rue Jean Brillant, Montreal, Québec, H3T 1N7, Canada
Ça se fait, installer Linux sur un Mac ? Mais bien sûr, et même les deux à la fois ! On a l’impression qu’il n’existe que deux sortes de systèmes d’exploitation : Windows ou macOS. Pourtant, il en existe bien d’autres. Les distributions de Linux sont légères, performantes et sécuritaires : on n’attrappe pas de virus et notre ordinateur ne devient presque jamais obsolète. Ce type de système convient particulièrement bien aux besoin en milieu universitaire : on vous montre pourquoi et comment !

→ Bibliothèque des lettres et sciences humaines (15:30)

→ Louis-Olivier Brassard

Pour plus de détails, veuillez consulter https://debogue.ecrituresnumeriques.ca/

Makerspace Orientations: Stamps and Print press
2025-11-12 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: November 12 2025

Presenter: Jacob Turola

This session demonstrates the creation of custom stamps using various methods. Attendees will explore techniques such as CNC machining rubber, 3D printing with TPU, and laser cutting. Each method will be demonstrated, highlighting the materials and processes involved, allowing participants to choose the best approach for their stamp-making projects.

Data Bites - Creating README Files for Research Data
2025-11-12 00:00 - 23:59
Date: November 12 2025

Instructor: Eugene Barsky, Vanessa Choy

Workshop: Creating README Files for Research Data

This hands-on workshop, delivered by the UBC Library Research Data Management team, introduces the importance of README files in documenting research data for long-term access and reuse. Designed for graduate students, researchers, and staff, the session provides practical guidance for creating clear, consistent, and useful data documentation.

Participants will learn how to:

Use templates and open tools to create and maintain README files throughout the research lifecycle

Identify the key components of an effective README file, including dataset description, file structure, and usage instructions

Apply best practices to improve data transparency, usability, and alignment with FAIR principles

Introduction aux humanités numériques
2025-11-18 00:00 - 23:59
Les humanités numériques réfèrent à l’utilisation d’outils et de pratiques numériques dans les sphères des sciences humaines et sociales et des arts et lettres. Le numérique peut intervenir à différents moments d’une recherche en sciences humaines et sociales et en arts et lettres, et ce, peu importe la nature et la portée du projet.

Cette présentation se veut une introduction aux méthodes et outils en humanités numériques ainsi qu’un tour d’horizon des ressources et services offerts au Service des bibliothèques de l’UQAM en lien avec les humanités numériques.

Guides liés: Humanités numériques by Simon Côté-Lapointe

Creating Compelling Research Impact Visualizations
2025-11-19 00:00 - 23:59 | McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada
Date: November 19 2025

The ability to create effective visualizations of your research impact is a valuable skill when competing for grants, awards, and attention in a crowded research landscape. In this hands-on workshop, participants will create simple, eye-catching graphics to communicate impact from a variety of perspectives (from citation rates to collaboration networks to media attention).

Participants will learn how to:

Generate ready-made impact visualizations within a variety of bibliometric tools at McMaster.

Utilize raw bibliometric data and custom templactes to create effective visualizations using Excel. – Effectively incorporate research impact visualizations into reports, grant applications, and award nominations.

This session is ideal for researchers, librarians, and graduate students interested in research metrics, scholarly communications, or mapping academic influence. No previous experience with data visualization is necessary.

Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This workshop will not be recorded.

Facilitator Bio: Jack Young (he/him) is McMaster’s Research Impact Librarian, supporting the use of bibliometric data to enhance the reporting and strategic planning practices of the University’s academic departments, institutes, and researchers.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre’s certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.

Credit Eligibility: This workshop counts toward credit for students in the Faculty of Science who are enrolled in SCIENCE 2SF1: Digital Skills Workshop. For any questions, please contact oursci@mcmaster.ca.

Data Management Plan Bootcamp (Virtual)
2025-11-19 00:00 - 23:59
Date: November 19 2025

Our popular DMP Bootcamp is back, reformatted into a hands-on online intensive for remote researchers on the go! Data Management Plans (DMPs) are both incredibly helpful research tools and increasingly required for grants but it can hard to know how to complete a Data Management Plan if it’s your first time. This session is carefully timed for researchers completing a CFI or Tri-Agency grant. If you’re in the process of creating a DMP, either for a grant application or for your own research, join RDM Services for this afternoon session. The RDM Services team will provide tailored guidance as you write your plan online–we’ll pop into your breakout rooms to make sure everything is going smoothy. Come away with a clear path forward or even a finished DMP!

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Identify the 5 key components of a data management plan (DMP).

Compare strong and weak responses in each section of a DMP.

Develop a tailored outline, or potentially a complete draft, of their own DMP!

This participatory session is especially relevant for researchers at all levels in the beginning stages of a research project or streamlining best practices for their research team. Come on your own, send your research staff, or bring your whole research group. Let us know if you’re joining as a research team – we’ll make sure you get an online breakout room to work together in! Bring your own snacks to your desk and enjoy this dedicated time to work on your plan with extra support.

Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This workshop will not be recorded.

Facilitator Bio: Danica Evering (they/them) is a Research Data Management Specialist grounded in curiosity and a deep commitment to ethics. Danica is available to help students, postdocs, faculty, and staff with RDM through the data lifecycle—Data Management Plans, storage and backup, data security, data sharing. With an MA in Media Studies, Danica fosters active interest in RDM across disciplines, with a knack for engaging researchers who might not even realize they have data to manage. Outside of work they sing in a choir, play PC games, maintain an art writing practice, grow a garden, contribute Wikipedia articles, and run.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre’s certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.

Credit Eligibility: This workshop counts toward credit for students in the Faculty of Science who are enrolled in SCIENCE 2SF1: Digital Skills Workshop. For any questions, please contact oursci@mcmaster.ca.

Introduction to Python: Part 2
2025-11-19 00:00 - 23:59 | The University of British Columbia, 1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V62 1Z2, Canada
Date: November 19th 2025

Instructor: Kendra Oudyk

This set of five workshops is an introduction to Python programming, with a focus on skills that are relevant to students and researchers who are working with data, particularly tabular data.

The five workshops cover the following:

Part 1: To understand the basics of Python syntax, variables, and data types.

Part 2: To learn how to work with tabular data in Python, including reading, manipulating, and visualizing data.

Part 3: To learn how to automate tasks in Python, including working with multiple files.

Part 4: To learn to use logic and modularity to make Python code flexible and reusable.

Part 5: To develop good habits for programming for research in Python, including handling errors, debugging, and writing reliable code.

Participants must sign up for each workshop individually. It is not necessary to sign up for the first workshop in order to do the second (and so on), but note that each workshop will build on the topics covered in previous workshops in this series.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites needed for this series; no prior programming experience is required.

Setup Instructions:

In these workshops, we will write Python code in a text editor called Visual Studio Code (VS Code).

Please follow the following steps/links to complete the setup for this workshop series before you attend:

Install a Python Interpreter

Install Visual Studio Code

Install the Python extension for VS Code. If you want more info on installing extensions for VS Code, see this page on their “Extension Marketplace”

Install this Python Debugger extension for VS Code

NOTE: You may use your own preferred text editor or Jupyter Notebooks to write code in these workshops, but keep in mind that some aspects may be unpredictably different from the way things appear on the instructor’s screen. For example, the instructor will frequently use the Python Debugger in VS Code, and other text editors may have entirely different mechanisms for debugging, and you may have to figure that out on your own. If you want to follow what the instructor is doing exactly, you should install VS Code and the extensions listed above.

Data Management Plan Bootcamp (In-Person)
2025-11-25 00:00 - 23:59 | McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada
Date: November 25 2025

Let us be your body double with this in-person bootcamp! Data Management Plans (DMPs) are both incredibly helpful research tools and increasingly required for grants but it can hard to know how to complete a Data Management Plan if it’s your first time. This session is carefully timed for researchers completing a CFI or Tri-Agency grant this fall. If you’re in the process of creating a DMP, either for a grant application or for your own research, join RDM Services for this afternoon session. The RDM services team will provide tailored guidance as you write your plan on site, and we’ll have some light snacks and refreshments to keep you going. Come away with a clear path forward or even a finished DMP!

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Identify the 5 key components of a data management plan (DMP).

Compare strong and weak responses in each section of a DMP.

Develop a tailored outline, or potentially a complete draft, of their own DMP!

This participatory session is especially relevant for researchers at all levels in the beginning stages of a research project or streamlining best practices for their research team. Come on your own, send your research staff, or bring your whole research group. Let us know if you’re joining as a research team – we’ll make sure you get a table to work together at!

Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This virtual workshop will be recorded and shared on the same page, and discoverable via the Sherman Centre’s Online Learning Catalogue.

Facilitator Bio: Isaac Pratt (he/him) is a research scientist by training and has a PhD in Anatomy & Cell Biology. He leverages nearly a decade of interdisciplinary research experience to help support students, staff, and faculty. His expertise lies in questions surrounding data storage, security, planning, archival, and sharing. Isaac also provides support and curation services for McMaster Dataverse. His other interests include reproducible research methods, open science, and data science.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre’s certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.

Credit Eligibility: This workshop counts toward credit for students in the Faculty of Science who are enrolled in SCIENCE 2SF1: Digital Skills Workshop. For any questions, please contact oursci@mcmaster.ca.

Makerspace Orientations: 3D Printing
2025-11-25 00:00 - 23:59 | York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada
Date: November 25 2025

Presenter: Jacob Turola

Join us for this introduction to a staple in makerspace technology! Attendees will get started with 3D printing in the makerspace. The session will cover how to find a file, process it for printing and run the machine. All are welcome, and everyone gets to keep what they make.

Making and Querying Databases in SQL with DuckDB
2025-11-26 00:00 - 23:59
Date: November 26 2025

Want to work with structured data more efficiently? SQL (Structured Query Language) is a powerful tool for managing and analyzing data and it’s easier to get started than you might think.

This beginner-friendly workshop introduces SQL using DuckDB, a lightweight, cross-platform database that runs locally and requires no setup. Through hands-on practice, you’ll learn how to create a database, add data to it, and write queries to find the information you need.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Understand the basic structure and purpose of SQL

Create and populate a DuckDB database

Write and run basic SQL queries to explore and extract data

This session is ideal for beginners in data analysis, researchers, and students who want a gentle introduction to databases using a simple and powerful tool. No prior experience required!

Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This virtual workshop will be recorded and shared on the same page, and discoverable via the Sherman Centre’s Online Learning Catalogue.

Facilitator Bio: John Fink is the Digital Scholarship Librarian in the Sherman Centre.

Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre’s certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.

Credit Eligibility: This workshop counts toward credit for students in the Faculty of Science who are enrolled in SCIENCE 2SF1: Digital Skills Workshop. For any questions, please contact oursci@mcmaster.ca.

Introduction to Python: Part 3
2025-11-26 00:00 - 23:59 | The University of British Columbia, 1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V62 1Z2, Canada
Date: November 26th 2025

Instructor: Kendra Oudyk

This set of five workshops is an introduction to Python programming, with a focus on skills that are relevant to students and researchers who are working with data, particularly tabular data.

The five workshops cover the following:

Part 1: To understand the basics of Python syntax, variables, and data types.

Part 2: To learn how to work with tabular data in Python, including reading, manipulating, and visualizing data.

Part 3: To learn how to automate tasks in Python, including working with multiple files.

Part 4: To learn to use logic and modularity to make Python code flexible and reusable.

Part 5: To develop good habits for programming for research in Python, including handling errors, debugging, and writing reliable code.

Participants must sign up for each workshop individually. It is not necessary to sign up for the first workshop in order to do the second (and so on), but note that each workshop will build on the topics covered in previous workshops in this series.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites needed for this series; no prior programming experience is required.

Setup Instructions:

In these workshops, we will write Python code in a text editor called Visual Studio Code (VS Code).

Please follow the following steps/links to complete the setup for this workshop series before you attend:

Install a Python Interpreter

Install Visual Studio Code

Install the Python extension for VS Code. If you want more info on installing extensions for VS Code, see this page on their “Extension Marketplace”

Install this Python Debugger extension for VS Code

NOTE: You may use your own preferred text editor or Jupyter Notebooks to write code in these workshops, but keep in mind that some aspects may be unpredictably different from the way things appear on the instructor’s screen. For example, the instructor will frequently use the Python Debugger in VS Code, and other text editors may have entirely different mechanisms for debugging, and you may have to figure that out on your own. If you want to follow what the instructor is doing exactly, you should install VS Code and the extensions listed above.
