Introduction
Why teach Python?
- In this first session, we will introduce the Python programming language.
- This course is about programming for data analysis and visualisation in research.
- It’s not mainly about Python, but about the programming concepts.
- But we have to use some language.
Why Python?
- Python is quick to program in, but fussy about spacing.
- Python is popular in research, and has lots of libraries for science.
- Python interfaces well with faster languages.
- Python is free, so you’ll never have a problem getting hold of it, wherever you go.
Why write programs for research?
- Not just labour saving.
- Scripted research can be tested and reproduced by yourself or others.
Programs are a rigorous way of describing data analysis for other researchers, as well as for computers.
Computational research suffers from people assuming each other’s data manipulation is correct. By sharing codes,
which are much more easy for a non-author to understand than spreadsheets, we can avoid the “SIRO” problem - Sensible Input, Reasonable Output.
“SIRO” rather than the old “Garbage in - Garbage out” is the real problem for science.
Next: Reading - Introducing the Jupyter Notebook