Tutorials

Tutorials for this class. A work in progress.

Data Exploration with OpenRefine

OpenRefine is a power tool for cleaning data. In this tutorial, we learn basic operations for exploring the data in Refine.
Clustering text facets in OpenRefine

OpenRefine gives point-and-click access to a variety of powerful text clustering algorithms.

Getting Started with SQLite and Sequel Pro

An introduction to using SQL with a GUI client
The SELECT statement and FROM clause

Starting up a SQL database and seeing data
Conditional filtering with WHERE

Starting up a SQL database and finding data
Fuzzy matching in SQL

Finding non-exact terms with LIKE, IN, BETWEEN, and other boolean operators
Grouping in SQL

Simple aggregations of results
Aggregate functions in SQL

How to count our grouped results.
Limiting and ordering SQL results

A few keywords to prettify and organize the results of SQL queries
Datatypes in SQL databases

The differences between a number, a string, and a date
The null state in databases

In databases, there's nothing and then there's NULL
Updating, deleting, and creating new data

Statements for modifying our databases

Basic SQL Inner joins

Combining tables efficiently: where the fun in SQL begins
Joining on a many-to-one relationship

When one record has many child records
SQL Left Joins

Sometimes what's absent is more interesting than what's there.

Introduction to Data Mapping with Fusion Tables

Google's handy tool for publishing interactive maps from large datasets.
Introduction to Data Mapping with TileMill

An open-source tool for combining maps with data layers
Fusion Tables Intensity Maps with Custom Shapes

Use geographic shape data to fill in political and physical boundaries

Why Spreadsheets?

A short overview of the importance of spreadsheets
Basic Aggregation with Pivot Tables

Pivot tables are an effective tool for quickly summarizing the facts from a mass of records

Setting up Github Pages

A guide to setting up Github as a webserver using only a web browser