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The Scientific Method, Tools & Code

Agenda

  • The Scientific Method
    • Presentation & Discussion
  • The Researchers' Toolbox
    • Writing: Markdown Syntax
    • Coding: Python Language
    • Working: Colaboratory Platform
  • The Assignment
    • Assignments Workflow
    • Getting started with Milestone 1

The Scientific Method

  1. Goal is Inference
  2. Procedures are public
  3. Conclusions are uncertain
  4. The Content is the method

Is a literature review a contribution?

The Researchers' Toolbox

Can we talk?

  • We need help and to help others. Sciences is a Social Enterprise!

What is Markdown?

  • A simple syntax you will use to write documents.
  • A lightweight free and open source markup language for creating formatted text using a plain-text editor.
  • Let's practice with the Markdown Tutorial.

What about ChatGPT and other LLMs ?

What it is? What is the intuition behind it?

ChatGPT is a Large Language Model (LLM) designed to generate human-like text based on the input it receives. It is part of the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) family of models and relying on deep learning algorithms to generate coherent and contextually relevant responses in a conversational format.

Using LLMs as a learning tool

  1. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of seeking direct answers, pose open-ended questions that encourage exploration of concepts. For example, ask, "What factors influence voter behavior in elections?" to gain a deeper understanding of political behavior.

  2. Request Explanations and Summaries: Use ChatGPT to explain complex topics in simpler terms or to summarize articles and books. For instance, you might ask, "Can you summarize the main theories of public opinion formation?" to clarify your understanding of how public opinion is shaped.

  3. Engage in Discussion: Treat your interaction as a conversation. Ask follow-up questions, such as, "How do social media platforms impact public opinion during elections?" This encourages critical thinking and helps you explore the nuances of political behavior.

  4. Seek Practical Examples: When learning new concepts, ask for real-world applications or examples. You could inquire, "Can you provide examples of how political campaigns have successfully influenced public opinion?" This contextualizes your knowledge and makes it more relatable.

  5. Reflect and Review: After receiving information, take time to reflect on what you've learned. For example, summarize the key factors that affect public opinion in your own words, or discuss with ChatGPT how these factors might apply to current political events to solidify your understanding.

What is Python?

  • A free and open source programming language we will use to analyse data.
  • It is the most popular programming language, widely used for data analysis, artificial intelligence, scientific computing, web development, and more.
  • Look at the Python Package Index.

What are notebooks?

  • The place where you write and code in a reproducible way!
  • A powerful free and open-source interactive web application that allows you to create and share documents that contain narrative text, live code, visualizations, but also allows you to do data cleaning and transformation, numerical simulation, statistical modeling, data visualization, machine learning, and much more.
  • Initially IPython then Jupyter/Colaboratory.
  • Let's practice Code and Voter Turnout.

The Assignment

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