Overview

This workshop is designed to be run on your laptop. First, you will need to download the data we use in the workshop. Then, you need to install some software. After following the instructions on this page, you should have everything you need to participate fully in the workshop!

Data

You can download all of the data used in this workshop by clicking this download link. The file is 206 KB.

Clicking the download link will automatically download all of the files to your default download directory as a single compressed (.zip) file. To expand this file, double click the folder icon in your file navigator application (for Macs, this is the Finder application). The data for this workshop are in the SAFI Survey Results Project available on FigShare, with a CC-BY license available for reuse.

The SAFI Project is a research project looking at farming and irrigation methods used by farmers in Tanzania and Mozambique. This dataset is composed of survey data relating to households and agriculture in Tanzania and Mozambique. The survey form was created using the ODK (Open Data Kit) software via an Excel spreadsheet. This is used to create a form which can be downloaded and displayed (and completed) on an Android smartphone. The results are then sent back to a central server. The server can be used to produce the collected data in both JSON and CSV formats. We will use a sample of the collected data in CSV format throughout this workshop.

For a full description of the data used in this workshop see the data page.

Software

Spreadsheet program

• To interact with spreadsheets, we can use LibreOffice, Microsoft Excel, Gnumeric, OpenOffice.org, or other programs. Commands may differ a bit between programs, but the general ideas for thinking about spreadsheets are the same. For this workshop, we recommend using either Microsoft Excel (paid software) or LibreOffice (free and open source). Other spreadsheet programs may not have all of the features we will be exploring in this workshop.

• To install LibreOffice, go to their download page. The website should automatically select the correct option for your operating system. Click the “Download” button. You will go to a page that asks about a donation, but you don’t need to make one. Your download should begin automatically. Once the installer is downloaded, double click on it (you may need to open your Downloads folder) and LibreOffice should install.

OpenRefine

• OpenRefine is a Java program that runs on your local machine (not on the cloud). Although it displays in your browser, no web connection is needed and your data remains local. You need to have a ‘Java Runtime Environment’ (JRE) installed on your computer to run OpenRefine. If you don’t already have one installed then you can download and install from http://java.com by going to the site and clicking “Free Java Download”.

• To install OpenRefine, go to their download page. From the download page, select either “Windows kit”, “Mac kit”, or “Linux kit” - depending on your operating system - and follow the instructions next to your download link. This lesson has been tested with all versions of OpenRefine up to the latest tested version, 3.2. If you are using an older version, it is recommended you upgrade to the latest tested version. After installing, you can delete the installer .dmg file.

• You may get an error message: “OpenRefine.app can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.” If you get this message, open your system preferences and click “Security & Privacy”. You will see a message “OpenRefine.app was blocked from opening because it is from an unidentified developer.” Click “Open Anyway” and “Yes”. OpenRefine should open in your default web browser.

• OpenRefine does not support Internet Explorer or Edge. Please use Firefox, Chrome or Safari instead.

• For more detailed info on how to install OpenRefine see here.

SQL

• SQL is a specialized programming language used with databases. We use a simple database manager called SQLite in our lessons. We will use the DB Browser for SQLite program, which is available for all major platforms.

• To install the DB Browser, go to their download page and choose the correct installer for your operating system. Once the installer is downloaded, double click on it (you may need to open your Downloads folder), follow any other instructions that appear, and DB Browser should install. After installing, you can delete the installer .dmg file.

Congratulations! You are now ready for the workshop!