Programming on the Vlaai

Programming on the Vlaai

Programming on the Vlaai is a recurring series that brings together researchers and students at Maastricht University who use programming in their research or are interested in developing their programming skills. Whether you are just beginning your programming journey or already have experience, these sessions provide a welcoming environment to learn, connect with others, and expand your expertise.

Each session starts with an introduction to, or an in-depth exploration of, a topic related to scientific programming. This is followed by an informal work session where participants can work on their own projects, ask questions, exchange knowledge, and network with fellow researchers and students while enjoying a slice of vlaai.

Session Topic: R for qualitative data – For total newbies

This session will feature R for qualitative researchers by Szilvia Zörgő, postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

During this workshop, we will explore the fundamentals of working with textual data using the programming language R. We will explore use cases and do some digital experimentation ourselves, focused on topics such as qualitative coding and data segmentation, visualization, and analytical innovation. Our discussions will involve the epistemic affordances and constraints of tools, as well as the potential benefits of machine-readability. The session will be light on programming, heavy on discussion and experimentation, with occasional peeks up the mechanical magician’s sleeve.

The workshop is designed for researchers who generally perform qualitative coding (by hand or with software) when working with their data, and would want to explore answers to the question: What is R and why would it be useful in my work?

Prerequisites:

No prior programming experience is required to participate. Participants are asked to bring their own laptop and install the required software before attending the session. Installation instructions and information about any other prerequisites will be provided after registration.

Learning Goals:

• Increase knowledge on topics related to scientific programming
• Be able to use programming in your own research projects

Format: Workshop

Language: English

Audience: Researchers and students