Python. I found Python difficult. The API and Webscraping assignments were really difficult for me. I was having flashbacks to AP calc when I was stumped on what formula to use for what function, and it wasn’t pleasant. By the time I got to the Georeferencing assignment, though, things started to make more sense. This has been an interesting exercise in how I learn, and I appreciated the repetition of these assignments. Like a lot of others, I also found myself making sloppy typos that impacted the way my code ran, but that was fairly easy to catch (when it made sense).
In my research, I think the API request concept will be most helpful. In starting to think about final projects, I’m planning on looking into API potential from either Michigan State’s Feeding America historic cookbook data, or Virginia Tech’s Food History Timeline. Right now, I’m leaning toward’s the Tech database because it’s a new project for them that they’re trying to get traction on, and I know the faculty involved–so it could be a mutually beneficial project if I’m able to further their accessibility goals and my own research.
One reply on “Module 4: Getting Data”
Sent you an access request for the notebooks, but if they ran without error you’re probably fine.
Do you know if the Feeding America project has more than the 76 listed? I’ve looked at that off and on to see if it has interesting data for this class, but it doesn’t seem like there’s enough there there, either number of cookbooks or the metadata for the 76, but you’re probably more familiar than I.
Looks like the VT special collections has an API here https://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/api, meaning that all their metadata for all their collections on the website is available. They’re using a collections management system called Omeka, which has a built in API, so that could have potential for your final project.