Research Data Management and Git - A good combination

Research Data Management and Git A good combination Philip Raatz & Patrick Thiel October 21, 2025 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Agenda •Part 1: Data & Organization ▶Folder structure ▶Naming convention ▶Good codeing practices •Part 2: Git and GitHub Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 2 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Who are we? Philip Raatz •2023: Research Data Manager at FDZ Ruhr •2021 – 2023: RDMScout (Coordinator) at Bochum University of Applied Sciences in the administration section of research support •2018 – 2020: Ruhr University Bochum Economic Policy Consulting •2019 – 2020: Internship – Student Assistent at FDZ Ruhr Dr. Patrick Thiel •Researcher at FDZ Ruhr since 2020 •Research topics: Housing markets, Noise Pollution, Environmental (Dis-)Amenities, Policy evaluations Helena Rahaus •Researcher at FDZ Ruhr since 2023 •Research topics: Labour and Gender Economics, Policy evaluations, Public Economics Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 3 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Goals •Implement effective research data management practices and coding principles •Establish structured workflows with clear organization •Ensure reproducibility and transparency in research projects •Use version control (e.g., Git) to track changes and collaborate Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 4 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Part 1: Data & Organization Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 5 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Data & Organization — 5S-Method Step Goal Action Sort Save time, free up storage Delete unnecessary files, clear temporary files Set in Order Simplify workflows Create folder structures, use naming conventions, document your systems Shine Maintain quality, keep processes clear Perform regular checks, enforce routines Standardize Establish processes and schedules Document best practices, define SOPs, assign responsibilities Sustain Maintain through habits Offer training, onboard new staff, adapt to new tools Source: Lang et al. (2021) Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 6 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Folder structure Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 7 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Data & Organization — Naming Convention •Meaningful names that describe the purpose •Consistent and functional naming conventions •Date for chronological sorting in the following form: YYYYMMDD •Avoidance of spaces and strange characters (&§¡/) Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 8 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Data & Organization — Naming Convention - Code •snake case notation for functions, variables, locals ▶Example: doing something function() instead of doingSomethingFunction() •Capitalized for globals ▶Example: CUTOFF THRESHOLD instead of cutoff threshold •Names should be pronounceable and searchable ▶Example: reading data() instead of rd() •Avoid spaces and special characters ▶Example: good name instead of bad name ▶BTW: Same holds for file names Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 9 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Why should you use VCS? •Keeping track of changes •Avoid redundantly storing files •Roll back in case code broke •Easier to understand your own code/ decisions •Ensures reliability and scaling •Great for collaboration •Open Access to code possible (Remote Repo) Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 16 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Git - one example of VCS: Workflow Source: NBIS (n.d.) Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 17 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Working with Git Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 18 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Useful (Linux) terminal commands Command Description pwd Printing working directory ls List what is in directory cd PATH Change the directory to PATH cd ∼Move to root (home) directory CTRL + L Clear console Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 19 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References 2. Setting up Git - Creating a repository Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 20 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References First start Tell Git who you are (so it know who made which change) •Use: git config --global user.name "FIRSTNAME LASTNAME" •Use: git config --global user.email "SOME EMAIL" •Check settings: git config --list Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 21 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Creating a repository Steps: 1Navigate to your (new) project folder cd PATH-TO-YOUR-PROJECT ▶Alternative: Right-click and open Git Bash in folder (on Windows) 2Create repository: git init 3(Optional) quick check that everything worked: git status Tip #1: Use git status excessively. It’s very helpful! Tip #2: Listen to Git Bash! It will make useful suggestions on what to do next. Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 22 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References 3. Committing changes Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 23 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Committing changes Steps: 1(Make changes to your file) 2Add your file/ folder, you want to track: git add FILENAME.py 3Committing the changes: 1Short way: git commit -m "SHORT DESCRIPTIVE TEXT" 2Long way (better!): git commit →This will open an editor to write your commit message. Tip: Use git diff FILENAME to see what has changed Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 24 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References The Commit message The commit message: •Contains subject line and a body text •Subject line: ▶Maximum 50 characters long ▶Capitalized and no period at the end •Body text: ▶Maximum 72 characters ▶Separated by a blank line from subject ▶Focus on the what and why you made changes (NOT on how) Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 25 / 43 Coffee break: 5-10 minutes Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References 5. Remote repositories - GitHub Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 33 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References GitHub Desktop •Offers a GUI for the core Git Bash functionalities •Keep in mind: Many sources online (e.g. Stackoverflow), help with problems in Git Bash. ▶Complex or highly specific issues might not be solvable with GitHub Desktop. Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 34 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References GitHub - Scenario 1 Scenario 1: You have a local repository and want to push it to GitHub Steps: 1Create an empty (private) repository on GitHub 2Connect the remote repository with your local repo ▶Use: git remote add origin HTTPS URL 3Push your files/ file history to GitHub ▶Use: git push -u origin main 4Now you can continue working locally and push changes to the remote repo. Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 35 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References GitHub - Scenario 2 Scenario 2: You are interested in a repository you have seen on GitHub Steps: 1Navigate a directory of your choice (use cd PATH) 2Copy HTTPS URL of GitHub repository 3Use: git clone HTTPS URL to ”copy” repo on your machine 4If you want to contribute to the repo, use git push to submit your changes. Note: To get the most recent version of the remote repo (after cloning), use git pull or git fetch. Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 36 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Git Hub - Zenodo Integration •Why: ▶Make your code available (e.g. for reviewer) ▶Make your research reproducible ▶Make your code citable for others •How: ▶Repository needs to be public ▶Log into Zenodo (easiest way: with GitHub account) ▶Go to GitHub dashboard (on Zenodo) and follow steps ▶https://support.zenodo.org/help/en-gb/24-github-integration •Example: ▶Patrick Thiel, (2024). Replication Code for RWI-GEO-REDX V14 (V14.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14167835 Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 37 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Git - Cheat Sheet Git Cheat Sheet Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 38 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Thank you! Philip Raatz [email protected] Dr. Patrick Thiel P[email protected] Helena Rahaus [email protected] Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 39 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Recommended R Packages For Documentation •DDI Variable Documentation and data access using R •Open Data Format •You can maintain a reproducible workflow without repeating yourself •Provides the ability to display Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 40 / 43 Introduction Part 1 Part 2 Wrap up References Useful Links •Summary of the requirements of the research sponsors •Assistance for Open Science Research Data Management and Git Raatz & Thiel 41 / 43