Python for Social Science Researchers

8 May 09:30

 

This one-day, intensive course will help equip students with the essential skills to use Python for research and data-driven projects. Designed around the needs of social science researchers, the course assumes participants have some experience coding in another language (STATA, SPSS, or R) and are now looking to learn Python to enhance their data analysis capabilities.

The areas we will cover are listed below: 

  • Setting up Python 
  • Utilizing Shortcuts 
  • Loading and saving data 
  • Subsetting data frames 
  • Efficient data cleaning 
    • Renaming columns 
    • Dealing with missing data 
    • Analyzing with Grouped data 
    • Moving between long and wide datasets 
  • Creating functions 
  • Using for loops 
  • Making basic plots 
  • Running regression models 

 

This course offers a full day of coding, with minimal lecture slides. Instead, students will have topics introduced to them via a few worked examples, followed by short quizzes, practical coding challenges, and longer tasks to help them master the approach we are looking at. By the end of the session, students will have spent several hours coding in Python and will have a solid understanding of how the language works. They will also meet other Python users who can support each other as they continue to learn the language after the class. 

 

Workshop Objectives:

  • Introduce students to using Python for social science research 
  • Build understanding of the different tools available to clean data 
  • Introduce how to build function, forloops and other tools to support their analysis 
  • Briefly look at how to plot and run regression models using Python 
  • Have the chance to ask questions on their own code, and meet other Python users. 

Please note:
There are no explicit prerequisites for this class, but ideally, participants would have some experience coding in another language (STATA, SPSS, or R). As Python is a more complicated language to learn, I would recommend students start with other languages first. 

Course requirements:

Please bring your laptops to the class with Python installed via Anaconda. Instructions for this can be found here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1092iNwFEXB6Wn2MHlspWMM_uCqG3n5EnctYBK0p7XSM/edit?usp=sharing 

 

A sandwich lunch will be provided

 

Apply here

Please see our booking Terms and Conditions below

 

Our booking process

When your application is received, you will be emailed a link and then have 48 hours to complete a pre-workshop form requesting additional information. If you do not meet this deadline, your application will be cancelled. 

If you have specific circumstances which may affect your engagement with this event, or your meeting our Terms and Conditions, please continue with your booking and contact us by email to discuss how we can support you: researcherdevelopment@socsci.ox.ac.uk

Researcher Development Terms and Conditions

In booking any training workshops, you agree that: 

 

COMMITMENT: application is not an expression of interest; it is a firm commitment. You will be available for the full duration of the course session(s); if you are not, please do not make a booking. You will not accept any subsequent meeting invitations that may fall during the given workshop times. 

PRE-WORK / HOMEWORK: if applicable, you will complete any given pre-work and/or homework as described on the workshop web listing, as it constitutes part of the workshop  

CANCELLATION: should your circumstances change, and you are not able to attend the full session(s). you will cancel giving at least 72-hours' notice, so we can offer the place to someone on the waiting list. 

ARRIVAL: you will join, or arrive at, the workshop 5 minutes before the advertised start time, to ensure a prompt start. 

LATE POLICY: you understand that the online room will be locked / workshop door will be closed 10 minutes after the event start time and late-comers will not be admitted. This is to preserve the integrity of the course for those who are present.  

ENGAGEMENT: you will give the session your undivided attention and engagement. You will not be able to do other tasks in parallel. If online, you will ensure that your environment and internet connection allow you to participate verbally and with video cameras on. These are interactive workshops, and it is not appropriate to attend from a silent or shared workspace. 

ATTENDANCE RECORD: you understand the Register will be taken in the last half-hour of the course, and anyone not present in the room at that point will be marked as non -attending (see below) 

FEEDBACK: you will contribute feedback afterwards, to help us understand how well the session met its intended aims, and facilitate our continuous improvement 

CONSEQUENCES OF NON-ATTENDANCE: you understand that any non-attendance  
a) is visible to departments and supervisors/PIs, and  
b) may result in any future bookings you’ve made within the same term being cancelled, and the place(s) offered to the waiting list.