Dive Into Data & Learn to Code with the Spring 2026 Digital Scholarship & Data Workshops

This spring, take your digital or data-intensive scholarship to the next level with the help of UK Libraries’ Digital Scholarship & Data Workshops & Events.

Offered by the digital scholarship and data librarians at UK Libraries’ newest space, The Stacks: Digital Scholarship Center, these workshops and events begin on Monday, Jan. 20 and last throughout the spring semester.

The Spring 2026 schedule includes:

• An in-depth workshop series that covers the basics of coding in Python 
• Deep dives into datasets during Love Data Week, Feb. 9-13
• Virtual workshops introducing machine learning and data management best practices
• Recurring sessions for assistance submitting theses and dissertations to UKnowledge

Workshops are designed to help students, faculty, and researchers improve and expand their capacities to use digital tools in their work and scholarship, with broad appeal to all data-intensive disciplines or anyone looking to develop their data skills. 

The workshops are free to attend and open to all UK students, faculty, and staff. Registration is required to attend. 

Find more details and register for the workshops below, and contact TheStacks@uky.edu with any questions.

Reproducible Research with Python

Have you always wanted to learn to program but never had the chance? This workshop series is your opportunity to get acquainted with the basics of Python and learn how it can be used for reproducible research. Sessions will provide guided instruction on key concepts and resources to help you hone your coding skills and continue your independent learning.

The three-part workshop series will be held twice during the semester, first during the week of January 26 to 30, and then on the first three Thursdays of February.

• Reproducible Research with Python 1: Core Concepts and Data Types
  • In this first workshop, participants will learn the basics of working in Python, including writing code in Jupyter notebooks, variables, expressions, operators, and essential data types. No prior coding experience is necessary.
  • Session 1
    • Monday, January 26
    • 2pm – 3:30pm
    • Young Library Alumni Gallery
    • Register here.
  • Session 2
    • Thursday, February 5
    • 2pm – 3:30pm
    • Young Library Alumni Gallery
    • Register here.
       
• Reproducible Research with Python 2: Exploring Datasets with Pandas
  • In this second workshop in the series, participants will learn data organization and exploration in pandas, the most popular Python library for managing tabular data. Basic familiarity with Python (such as completion of Reproducible Research with Python 1 workshop) is recommended.
  • Session 1
    • Wednesday, January 28
    • 2pm – 3:30pm
    • Young Library Alumni Gallery
    • Register here.
  • Session 2
    • Thursday, February 12
    • 2pm – 3:30pm
    • Young Library Alumni Gallery
    • Register here.
       
• Reproducible Research with Python 3: Reproducible Data Manipulation with Pandas
  • In this third and final workshop in the series, participants will build on their skills for working with tabular data with pandas by learning how to perform common data cleaning tasks, such as dropping, creating, and transforming columns, manipulating date-time data, and filtering a dataset—all in a reproducible manner that can be repeated infinitely with just the press of a button. Basic familiarity with Python (such as completion of Reproducible Research with Python 1 and 2 workshops) is recommended.
  • Session 1
    • Friday, January 30
    • 2pm – 3:30pm
    • Young Library Alumni Gallery
    • Register here.
  • Session 2
    • Thursday, February 19
    • 2pm – 3:30pm
    • Young Library Alumni Gallery
    • Register here.

Dive Into Datasets During Love Data Week

Ready to jump head first into the wild world of data? Join us for an exciting slate of events during Love Data Week, Feb. 9-13! 

Each afternoon during the week we’ll be hosting online sessions that provide an overview of a different data source made available by UK Libraries.

• Dataset of the Day: Statista
  • This session will introduce Statista, which integrates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from over 22,000 sources onto a single platform, providing researchers direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets. It also provides data on market forecasts, white paper studies, dossiers, industry reports, digital market outlooks, and consumer market outlooks.
  • Monday, February 9
  • 1pm – 1:45pm
  • Zoom
  • Register here.
     
• Dataset of the Day: PolicyMap
  • This session will profile PolicyMap, a web-based online data and mapping application that provides access to over 75,000 indicators focused on topics like demographic, housing, health, education, and more. The primary focus is on the United States with datasets available at different geographic scales. Users can easily create customized maps that allow for straightforward analysis and compelling data visualizations. Additionally, datasets are available in multiple formats, including tables and reports, with some public datasets available for download. 
  • Tuesday, February 10
  • 1pm – 1:45pm
  • Zoom
  • Register here.
     
• Dataset of the Day: Roper iPoll
  • This session will profile Roper iPoll, a database of polling and survey data from U.S. and international polling firms. Researchers can investigate topics such as politics, social issues, pop culture, and international affairs, and directly download raw data files or generate charts and tables for quick visualizations.
  • Wednesday, February 11
  • 1pm – 1:45pm
  • Zoom
  • Register here.
     
• Dataset of the Day: Data Citation Index (Web of Science)
  • This session will profile Data Citation Index (part of Web of Science), which includes records for over 2 million datasets and studies across a wide variety of disciplines. Records include information on authors, affiliations, subject keywords, citations, and links to related peer-reviewed studies, making Data Citation Index a valuable resource for discovering new research datasets or accessing dataset metadata in bulk for analysis.
  • Thursday, February 12
  • 1pm – 1:45pm
  • Zoom
  • Register here. 
     
• Dataset of the Day: Sage Data
  • This session will feature representatives from Sage Publishing to profile Sage Data, a central home for datasets with a multidisciplinary and global scope that can be used for both independent research and classroom instruction. It enables users to create custom data visualizations such as maps and trend charts easily and includes a reference library to master data literacy essentials. While UK Libraries does not currently license Sage Data, we are looking for your feedback on whether it fits your research and teaching needs. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide their perspectives after the session.
  • Friday, February 13
  • 1pm – 1:45pm
  • Zoom
  • Register here.

Digital Scholarship & Data: Data Management, Machine Learning, & Digital Spring Cleaning

Workshops held throughout the semester will introduce users to a variety of special topics in digital scholarship and data management. This semester, learn the basics of machine learning and discover tips for managing, sharing, and decluttering your data. 

• Navigating the NIH Data Management & Sharing Policy at UK
  • The NIH’s Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy, which went into effect in January 2023, has established new requirements for grant applicants to put forward a plan explaining how their research data will be made accessible to other researchers and the public. At this session, Research Data Librarian Isaac Wink will cover the major elements of the policy researchers need to know and provide guidance on writing successful data management and sharing plans.
  • Tuesday, January 20
  • 12pm – 1pm
  • Zoom
  • Register here.
     
• Machine Learning: A Light Introduction
  • Are you interested in learning more about machine learning but aren't sure where to get started? Join UK Libraries to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of machine learning along with how to implement some basic models in Python using scikit-learn. The first half of this session will introduce core concepts in machine learning, including supervised vs. unsupervised learning, types of models, and metrics for evaluating model performance. The second half will focus on how to apply some of these concepts in Python. While some knowledge of Python will be helpful, no coding experience is necessary.
  • Wednesday, March 18
  • 12pm – 1pm
  • Zoom
  • Register here.
     
• Digital Spring Cleaning: Tips for Decluttering Your Files and Data
  • Whether we're needing a new system to keep class files organized, struggling to manage large amounts of research data, or just constantly losing important files, we can all benefit from being smart about how we organize our files and folders. This workshop will provide strategies for personal file management, keeping digital material well-organized, and creating well-documented and reusable datasets.
  • Monday, March 23
  • 12pm – 1pm
  • Zoom
  • Register here.

UKnowledge Submission Drop-In Sessions

UKnowledge (IR) Library Specialist Kyle Bachman-Johnson will hold in-person sessions monthly throughout the semester to help UK Libraries users planning on submitting a thesis, dissertation, or other work to UKnowledge.

• Student Submissions to UKnowledge: Author Rights, Open Access, and Acceptance Workflow
  • If you are submitting a thesis, dissertation, or other student work for publication on UKnowledge, get ahead of the curve and spend an hour learning to get the most from your submission. Guaranteed to save you time and trouble later and to maximize the benefit of publication, we'll talk about the platform, the submission process, and the submission forms.
  • Three in-person sessions:  
    • Wednesday, January 28
      • Register here.
    • Wednesday, February 25
      • Register here. 
    • Wednesday, March 18
      • Register here.
  • 3pm – 4pm
  • The Stacks Presentation Space
     
• Open Office Hours for Electronic Thesis & Dissertation Submission
  • If you're struggling with either submission or revision of your electronic thesis or dissertation, drop into The Stacks for hands-on help. 
  • Tuesday, April 14
  • 10am – 3pm
  • The Stacks Presentation Space

Need more data? 

Visit our Research Workshops & Tutorials page to find all the opportunities to improve your research skills with UK Libraries.