Choosing and Using Open-Source Software

Join the Open Science Community of Victoria (OSCV) for a special Practical Data Skills Workshop, an in-person, hour-long session on choosing and using open-source software for your research. Complimentary refreshments and food will be served.

 Anthony Truelove, PhD Student and Research Engineer in Mechanical Engineering, will guide participants through what to look for when choosing open-source software.

What You’ll Learn

Open-source software is everywhere in research, but not all tools are created equal. This session will help you make confident, informed choices about the software you rely on, so you can save time and support tools that align with open science.

You'll learn how to evaluate open-source tools, including licensing, community support, documentation, and long-term maintenance, and how these tools compare to proprietary alternatives.

All workshop materials are openly available on the UVic Libraries Open Science guide. 

Who It's For

Designed for students, researchers, and campus staff. No prior experience required.

Interested in Other Practical Data Skills Workshops?

Explore topics and register below:

• Creative Commons Licensing – Learn how to apply Creative Commons licenses to your own work (part I) and how to find, understand, and properly attribute CC-licensed works you want to reuse (part II). 
• Data Privacy 101 – Build responsible research habits by learning the basics of working with sensitive data.
• Editing Wikipedia – Learn how to make edits and add content, helping build a more open and reliable source of knowledge for everyone.
• Find Open Data – Explore methods for locating and using open datasets.
• Markdown – Learn the lightweight formatting language behind READMEs, notes, and documentation, in this hands-on introduction to writing clean, portable text.
• Organize Files and Folders – Learn how to keep your files tidy and easy to navigate.
• Organize Your Citation Library –Learn how to manage references and citations efficiently so your research stays organized and easy to retrieve.
• Pre-Register Your Study – Learn how and why pre-registering your study with OSF Registries increases the transparency and credibility of your research

Your full participation in this workshop is important to us. Should you require any accommodations or have questions regarding accessibility, please contact mgrenier@uvic.ca.