Description: This module provides a foundational-level conceptual understanding of reproducible documentation and its role in social science research workflows. It introduces key principles and practices for creating clear, consistent, and reusable research documentation across the research process.
The module explores different forms of documentation, including documentation associated with collaborative, computational, and data-intensive research workflows. It also introduces approaches to documenting code and computational environments, and the role of version control and persistent identifiers in supporting reproducible research.
It does not cover software engineering or programming techniques.
Level: Foundational
Learning objectives:
By the end of the module, you will be able to:
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explain the role of documentation in reproducible research workflows.
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identify the characteristics of effective research documentation.
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distinguish between interactive and non-interactive forms of documentation.
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recognise good practices for documenting code and computational environments.
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explain how version control supports reproducibility and collaboration.
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describe how persistent identifiers such as DOIs support preservation and sharing of research outputs.
Intended Audience: This module is designed for social science researchers and data service professionals who are new to computational and reproducible research workflows.
Pre-requisites: No prior experience with version control systems (e.g. Git, GitHub, GitLab) is required. The module is intended for researchers or research professionals working in collaborative, computational, or data-intensive environments.
⏲ Approx. 90 minutes
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