This entry level course in Python is specifically tailored to humanities teachers, researchers, and students who want to learn the basics of this popular programming language. After the course, participants will be able to write simple programs using the most common structures. Led by the scientific developers of the CDH Research Software Lab, this hands-on training spans four Wednesdays, starting on 1 May, 2024.

With electronic computers being fast and widely available, it is highly empowering to be able to program them. This is especially true in academic research, where no two projects are the same and writing custom software enables us to tailor large-scale automated analysis to our specific needs.

This course will teach basic programming in the Python programming language, which is beginner-friendly and production-ready. We will also pay attention to elementary skills that help in avoiding double work, finding the causes of errors quickly and making future maintenance easier. The course is hands-on, with more than half of the time allocated to exercise. In week 3 & 4, you will try your hand at implementing your own analysis.

Course aims

After concluding this four-day course, participants can: 1) write data processing algorithms using the basic techniques provided in Python; 2) reorganize their code to improve future reusability and maintainability; 3) use a stepping debugger to find the cause of an error; 4) reuse code that already exists; 5) translate the analysis they want to perform into concrete Python code.

Workshop schedule

• 1 May – 10:00 – 17:00 hrs
• 8 May – 10:00 – 17:00 hrs
• 15 May – 10:00 – 17:00 hrs
• 22 May – 10:00 – 17:00 hrs

Level

This course aims to empower new people and is therefore intended for absolute beginners. No previous programming experience is needed.

Target audience

Due to our funding, priority will be given to humanities teachers, researchers, and students for this workshop. If you are affiliated with a different faculty or institution but interested in participating, please register to be placed on a waiting list. Notification of available spaces will be sent two weeks before the workshop.

Preparation

You should bring a laptop and to prepare a dataset along with a research question. Detailed instructions will be sent two weeks before the course. Working with your own dataset is also possible. Please send an email to digitalhumanities@uu.nl to discuss the possibilities.

DCU compensation

Teachers at the Faculty of Humanities completing this course will receive a DCU compensation of 30 hours, which equals 1,38 DCUs. Before registering, please discuss your participation and the DCU compensation provided with a management coordinator in your department. The CDH will automatically settle the DCU compensation with your department upon completion.

Minimum participants

In order to ensure the viability of the training and allocate the necessary resources, a minimum of ten registrations is required for the course to proceed. We will inform all registered participants of the status at the latest two weeks in advance, confirming whether the course will definitively take place.

Secure your spot by registering early, as spots are allocated on a first-come, first served-basis. If you find yourself unable to attend, we kindly request that you cancel your registration by sending an email to CDH@uu.nl, allowing us to offer the spot to another participant. Thank you for your cooperation.