Library Guides: Research Code and Data Instructional Resources: Home

Data Science Workbook

Library workshop: Unix Command Line Fundamentals
- The most beginner friendly introduction, focuses on concept explanation
- Topic: directory path, cd, ls, mkdir, rm, mv, cp
- Read more on Michelle's personal page
- Sign up at the library event page each semester
Research IT Web guide: Linux Introduction
- Linux is a popular scientific OS built on Unix, and are sometimes referred interchangeably.
- Expands on library workshop and cover commonly used commands.
- Topics: Basic structure of Unix system. Core concepts like navigating the filesystem and modifying files.
Research IT workshop: Introduction to Command Line
- Recording and GitHub repository available from Fall 2025 Workshop 1 of 3-part series on NextFlow
- introduction to Command Line: variables, command chaining, redirect, etc.
- Find events on Research IT News page.

Library workshop: Git Basics for Absolute Beginners
- topics: git init, add, commit, status, log, push, pull, reset
- Git is built with on the same principles of Unix command lines.
- Read more on Michelle's personal page
- Sign up at the library event page each semester
Web guide: Better Data Management in 5 Practices
- A short guide to get started on 5 practices of file management.
Web guide: File Management
- Detailed guides for managing digital files by the Iowa State University Library, referred in the shorter outline above too.
Library workshop: Unpacking (Cy)Box for Better File Management
- This workshop teaches you to organize files for easy retrieval and sharing. Discover how to manage files effectively, access them from anywhere, and collaborate with others. Leave the workshop armed with file management strategies, including naming conventions, folder structures, and documentation techniques.
- Sign up at the library event page each semester

HPC clusters are Unix/Linux systems, here are Web guides by Research IT:

Web guide list: Getting started with HPC Cluster
Web guide: containers in the cluster
- What a container and Apptainer is. How to use it within the cluster. How to use existing container images. List of useful container libraries. Building containers.
Web guide: VSCode in the cluster
- Run VSCode from OnDemand. Move files to and from a local machine. Run test programs. Connect to VSCode through a registered tunnel. Close a registered tunnel. Using SSH from within VSCode.
Research Workshop series: 3-part series on NextFlow (Workflow Management)
- Fall 2025 workshop series description
  - Part 1 materials online

Jupyter notebook: Python Introduction for Researchers
- Topics: variables, control sequence, methods and modules, library/packages
- Also taught as a library workshop: Read more on Michelle's personal page
- Sign up at the library event page each semester
Web guides by ISU Research IT:
- Web guide: python virtual environment
- Web guide: Micromamba

Basic Data Cleaning with OpenRefine
- Library workshop: Read more on Michelle's personal page
- Data faceting, clustering, transformations, extract and applying transformation steps
Introduction to DataShare and the ISU Digital Repository
- This workshop covers how ISU's open-access repositories--DataShare and the Digital Repository--can help ISU faculty, students, and staff share and preserve your paper and data publications. You'll learn how to add publications to these systems and about benefits like tracking statistics, stable links, and author profiles.
Escape from Spreadsheet Hell
- This workshop introduces ways to structure your research data so it's both computer and human friendly. You can’t escape spreadsheets, but you can escape spreadsheet hell! This beginner-level Zoom workshop covers how to organize and document data in a spreadsheet program such as Excel. Includes some hands-on practice.

This guide is maintained by Michelle Zhai (zhai@iastate.edu). Please let her know if you have any edit suggestions.