Quick recap

This meeting was a hands-on workshop on version control using GitHub, led by Vahid for the Open Science SLC. Vahid provided a comprehensive demonstration of GitHub fundamentals including creating repositories, editing files, committing changes, creating branches, and managing pull requests entirely through the web interface and GitHub Desktop. He explained key concepts like Git versus GitHub, branches, pull requests, and introduced features like Zenodo integration for DOIs and GitHub Pages for creating lab websites. The session included live demonstrations where participants created their own branches and pull requests in the shared implementation guide repository that Vahid had set up. Vahid also covered GitHub Education benefits and organization accounts, which provide free team plans for faculty and students. The workshop concluded with a discussion of potential topics for upcoming meetings, including a consideration of focusing on AI in open science practices for the next session instead of the originally planned collaborative protocol topic.

Next steps

Vahid

• Adjust repository settings to ensure all team members can review and approve pull requests, not just the admin.
• Send an email to the group to create a discussion about the topic and presenter(s) for Meeting 8 (choice between Collaborative Protocol or AI in Open Science), and gather input from members.
• Be available for follow-up individual or small group sessions on GitHub Pages or other GitHub topics, as requested by SLC members (e.g., Kelly, Brad).
• Consider restructuring the repository collaboration/team settings to allow all members to maintain and update the repository long-term.
• (Optional/Longer-term) Consider adding a session or implementing a GitHub/GitBook workflow to generate a book-style output/PDF from the repository.

Collaboration

• All SLC members: Accept the invitation to join the DePaul Open Science GitHub repository and create a pull request by editing their member profile (at minimum, add a word or update their profile) using the branch/pull request workflow demonstrated.
• All SLC members: Consider contributing additional resources (papers, tools, links) to the repository as relevant, and update the reading list or resources as appropriate.
• All SLC members: Send Vahid a message if interested in scheduling an additional session on GitHub Pages or related topics.

Summary

GitHub Workshop for Researchers

Vahid led the seventh meeting of the Open Science SLC, which focused on a hands-on workshop about using GitHub for researchers. The session aimed to help participants make an attributable contribution to the repository's Implementation Guide using GUI and browser tools rather than terminal commands. Vahid explained the importance of version control in research and outlined the session's goals, noting that participants would learn to track changes and manage different versions of files more effectively than using separate file versions.

GitHub Version Control Session

Vahid introduced a session on version control using GitHub as part of the Open Science puzzle, addressing common concerns about coding, data sensitivity, and AI integration. He outlined the day's plan, which includes concepts, a live demo, hands-on practice, and discussions on GitHub Desktop, GitHub Copilot, and integrations with Zenodo and OSF. Vahid clarified the difference between Git, a software for tracking file changes, and GitHub, a website hosting those changes.

GitHub Workflow and Features Overview

Vahid explained the relationship between Git and GitHub, comparing it to Microsoft Word and OneDrive, and discussed GitHub's features including repositories, branches, pull requests, and issues. He outlined a six-step workflow for using GitHub: editing files, committing changes with meaningful messages, optionally working on branches, opening pull requests, reviewing and discussing with collaborators, and merging the requests. Vahid also mentioned the importance of standard files like README, license, and citation files in repositories, and noted that all these steps can be done through a browser without using terminal commands.