Course Catalogue

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Data science is no longer only the domain of computer scientists and engineers. Given the increasing amount of data created and captured every day, it is important for students in the humanities to develop the basic skills to analyse, interpret, and communicate a variety of data in digital format. This course seeks to develop these skills by providing an introduction to different types of data, and approaches to analyse and interpret them in electronic form.

1x1hr lecture and 1x1hr seminar or lab session per week as scheduled in MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options in Information Studies and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available in MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Digital Media and Information Studies, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

ARTMED4036 - Data Analysis, Visualisation and Communication

INFOSTUD4004 - Data Analysis, Visualisation and Communication 

None

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Project output: The students have to work on a data science project and deliver the output at the end of Week 11. This output will consist of a data set created or developed by the student, analysed and visualised using appropriate tools and methods. - 50% 

■ Report (2000 words) - 50% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the assessments, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course aims to:

■ Deliver an introduction to the field of data science

■ Provide a grounding on the main principles of data and best practice of data analysis

■ Explain methods for data analysis, visualisation methods, and its use for communication

■ Emphasis the research potentials of data analysis in the field of information and communication studies

■ Introduce standard techniques for analysing, visualising and communicating data

■ Analyse how data analysis methods are used in the humanities and how this can change the way in which scholars use and interact with data

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify relevant research questions and assess how data analysis can help answer these.

■ Assess how data analysis can change the way in which data is used and analysed in the humanities

■ Be proficient in exploring, analysing, manipulating, interpreting and visualising data using data science techniques, software and technologies to make sense of data

■ Design and apply appropriate methods to visualise information based on data analysis

■ Recognise and use standards and best practice generally accepted by the research community.

■ Develop, test, justify and deliver methods to communicate research outcomes based on the analysis of data