Monday, August 3, 2020: 1:00 PM-1:30 PM
Organizer:
Jeanette Clark
Co-organizers:
Matthew B. Jones
and
Amber E. Budden
Moderator:
Jeanette Clark
Graduate students in ecology are well versed in research methodologies, including the collection of ecological data and statistical analyses. Yet within existing courses, there is often less emphasis on effective management of the collected data. The format that is convenient for collecting data in the field is almost never convenient for storing or analyzing data. Further, widespread use of powerful spreadsheet tools such as Excel can inadvertently lead to changes in data and loss of important original observations. This workshop will introduce the concepts of relational data modeling through a mix of instructional presentation and hands on activity, with an emphasis on real world examples and making research more reproducible. Using a relational data model creates a “tidy” data structure, which makes data easier to search and filter, document, and analyze. Participants will learn the principles of tidy data, how to recognize untidy data, how to tidy their data and how having tidy data can set them up for success in analysing, documenting, and reusing their data.
