Open and Reproducible Research Cloud Workflows: A Firsthand Experience for Librarians


Level: Intermediate Status: alpha

The Carpentries alpha Stage

A full draft exists and is being piloted by the original developers. Gaps or inconsistencies may still be present.
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About this Lesson

This lesson provides librarians with firsthand experience in open and reproducible research workflows using cloud computing. It aims to shift librarians' perspectives by engaging them directly in a reproducible research workflow using command-line tools and cloud resources.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the concept and benefits of cloud computing in open research.
  • Log in to a remote computer using SSH and execute basic shell commands.
  • Use SCP to transfer files between local and remote computers.
  • Clone a public GitHub repository onto a remote computer.
  • Run R code to analyze data within a remote RStudio server session.
  • Identify opportunities for librarians to employ skills for open and reproducible research.

Keywords

reproducibilitycloudworkflowshellsshrstudio

Workshop History

Date Location Format Instructor
8/15/2023 UCLA Data Science Center Hybrid Daniel Kerchner

Help Improve this Curriculum

This lesson is currently in the alpha phase. The authors are currently piloting this draft. You can help by reviewing the materials and reporting any bugs or areas for improvement.


For more on how to run a pilot, visit The Carpentries Handbook.

Why Teach This?

Cloud computing is becoming essential for modern research. By teaching this lesson, you empower librarians to move beyond theory and gain hands-on confidence with the actual tools (SSH, RStudio Server) their researchers use daily.

Instructor Specs
  • Duration: 7h 50m
  • Level: Intermediate
  • License: CC-BY 4.0
Cite this Lesson

APA Format:

Kerchner, D. (2025). Open and Reproducible Research Cloud Workflows: A Firsthand Experience for Librarians. UCLA IMLS Open Science. https://ucla-imls-open-sci.info/lessons/open-and-reproducible-research-cloud-workflows-a-firsthand-experience-for-librarians

BibTeX:

Show BibTeX
@misc{open_and_reproducible_research_cloud_workflows_a_firsthand_experience_for_librarians_2025,
  author = {Daniel Kerchner},
  title = {Open and Reproducible Research Cloud Workflows: A Firsthand Experience for Librarians},
  year = {2025},
  publisher = {UCLA IMLS Open Science},
  url = {https://ucla-imls-open-sci.info/lessons/open-and-reproducible-research-cloud-workflows-a-firsthand-experience-for-librarians}
}

Authors

Daniel Kerchner
Daniel Kerchner
Senior Software Developer and Librarian, George Washington University