Data @ Rice Workshop Series

This free workshop series sponsored by Fondren Library and the Center for Research Computing provides hands-on training on the basics of finding, managing, analyzing, visualizing, and sharing data as well as in using research computing resources.

To register, visit the Calendar of Events and Courses or follow the links below.

Don't see a workshop you'd like to attend? Let us know what you'd like to see offered!

Join our research data news mailing list for workshop announcements and data news.

Questions? Contact us at researchdata@rice.edu if you have any questions or want to cancel a class you registered for.

Spring 2026 Workshop Schedule

Data Visualization

Fondren Data Visualization Short Course Showcase (Zoom) - Thu, Jan 29, 10:30am - 12pm
Introduction to Tableau Public (in-person) - Fri, Feb 6, 10am - 12pm
Experience Builder - Develop Your Application by Connecting it with ArcGIS Online (in-person) - Thu, Feb 26, 1 - 3pm
Experience Builder - Next Steps: Elevate Your Application (in-person) - Thu, Mar 5, 1 - 3pm

Excel Training Series

Basic Excel Training - Part 1: Working with Cells and Sheets (Zoom) - Thu, Feb 5, 12 - 1:30pm
Basic Excel Training - Part 2: Functions and Formulas (Zoom) - Thu, Feb 19, 12 - 1:30pm
Basic Excel Training - Part 3: Pivot table, Pivot chart, and Power query (Zoom) - Thu, Mar 5, 12 - 1:30pm
Excel Pivot Tables - Asynchronous course available anytime on Canvas - Register here and click Enroll

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used for everything from simple map-making and data location to more complex cartography, engaging visualizations, spatial analysis, interactive dashboards, and modeling. The GIS/Data Center at Rice's Fondren Library offers free introductory and intermediate workshops on a variety of GIS topics, most using the popular ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS StoryMaps, and ArcGIS Online software. Find the full list of GIS courses here.

Open Government Data for Research

Available on demand: To request individual research consultancy or group instruction on open government data, email Anna Xiong, jax2@rice.edu, Head of Kelley Center for Government Information and Civic Engagement. Self-paced training materials are available through Fondren Library’s online LibGuide. Previously offered short courses include:

Introduction to U.S. Federal Data and Statistical Resources
Navigating World Bank, United Nations, and OECD Data Sources and Publications
Exploring Federal Reserve Bank Data and Analytical Tools
Introduction to U.S. Census Data and Open Data Platforms
Analyzing and Visualizing Census Data Using APIs, Excel, R, and Python

Python Programming Series

Python Fundamentals - Part 1: Introduction to Programming (in-person) - Wed, Jan 28, 10am - 12pm
Python Fundamentals - Part 2: Loops and Conditions (in-person) - Wed, Feb 4, 10am - 12pm
Data Analysis and Visualization with Pandas in Python (in-person) - Wed, Feb 11, 10:30am - 12pm
Network Analysis and Visualization with NetworkX in Python (in-person) - Wed, Feb 18, 10:30am - 12pm
Interactive Data Visualization in Python (in-person) - Wed, Feb 25, 10:30am - 12pm
Web Scraping with Python (in-person) - Wed, Mar 4, 10:30am - 12pm
Intermediate Text Analysis with Python (in-person) - Wed, Mar 25, 10:30am - 12pm
Vibe Coding for Research: Accelerating Scientific Computing with AI (in-person) - Wed, Apr 1, 10:30am - 12pm

R Programming Bootcamp

Join us for an R programing bootcamp over Spring Break! Learn the basics of R for data analysis and visualization, and dive into programming skills for improving your research reproducibility and workflow!

Each workshop focuses on a single topic. Attend as many workshops as you like; register for individual sessions with the links below.

Basics of R and Data in R (Zoom) - Mon, Mar 16, 1 - 3pm
Cleaning Data in R (Zoom) - Tue, Mar 17, 1 - 4pm
Wrangling Data in R with dplyr (Zoom) - Wed, Mar 18, 1 - 3pm
Programming Basics in R (Zoom) - Thu, Mar 19, 11 - 11:50am
Basic Statistics in R (Zoom) - Thu, Mar 19, 1 - 3pm
Data Visualization in R (Zoom) - Fri, Mar 20, 1 - 3pm

Research Computing Series

Introduction to the Center for Research Computing - Services and Resources (in-person) - Thu, Jan 29, 1 - 2pm
The World is at your Command….line - Learn basic skills for working with Linux based systems (in-person) - Thu, Feb 5, 1 - 4pm
Intro to High Performance Computing (HPC) with the Rice NOTS cluster (in-person) - Thu, Feb 12, 1 - 3pm
Using HPC Interactively from your Browser with Open OnDemand (in-person) - Thu, Feb 19, 1 - 2:30pm
Experience Builder - Develop Your Application by Connecting it with ArcGIS Online (in-person) - Thu, Feb 26, 1 - 3pm
Experience Builder - Next Steps: Elevate Your Application (in-person) - Thu, Mar 5, 1 - 3pm
Introduction to Rice's RANGE cluster for AI (in-person) - Thu, Mar 26, 1 - 3pm
Introduction to Code Management with VS Code and GitHub (in-person) - Thu, Apr 2, 1 - 2:30pm
Putting it all Together: Example Workflows using Rice's Research Computing and Data Services (in-person) - Thu, Apr 9, 1 - 3pm

Research Data and Citation Management

Introduction to Zotero: Collect, Organize, and Cite Research (in-person) - Fri, Jan 23, 3 - 4pm
Advanced Zotero: Read, Annotate, Take Notes, and Draft/Outline Research (in-person) - Fri, Jan 30, 11am - 12pm
Tropy for Research Photo Management (in-person) - Fri, Jan 30, 3 - 4pm
How to Manage Your Research Data - TBD
Introduction to Code Management with VS Code and GitHub (in-person) - Thu, Mar 12, 1 - 2:30pm

Text Analysis

Introduction to Text Analysis with Voyant (in-person) - Wed, Mar 11, 10:30am - 12pm
Intermediate Text Analysis with Python (in-person) - Wed, Mar 25, 10:30am - 12pm

Working with Generative AI

Ethical Generative AI Use for Researchers (in-person) - Wed, Feb 11, 2:45 - 3:45pm
Literature Reviews with Generative AI (in-person) - Mon, Feb 23, 1 - 2pm
Introduction to Rice’s AI Tools (in-person) - TBD (tentative)

Software Carpentry @ Rice

RDS offers two-day Software Carpentry workshops generally in early and late summer that teach foundational coding and data science skills to researchers based on the Carpentries curriculum. The goal is to train and foster an active, inclusive, diverse community that promotes and models the importance of software and data in research.