Mini-Bootcamp online: Web scraping with Python (December 2023)

In this bootcamp being offered December 4-7th from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. (CT), learn how you can use the Python programming language to scrape data from the web. In this advanced online mini-bootcamp, we’ll cover:

• Using built-in browser tools to target page elements for extraction
• Setting up a Python project with a virtual environment, using Jupyter notebooks and installing various scraping and parsing libraries
• Strategies for navigating various kinds of web pages, from simple (static HTML) to advanced (paginated databases, server-rendered content, restrictive cookies, etc.)
• Writing your scraped data to file
• Scraping best practices

Note: Attendees will need to install Python on their computers prior to the workshop -- here’s IRE’s installation guide -- and have a beginner-level understanding of basic Python syntax (data types, variable assignment, control flow statements, etc.). You don’t need to be a regular Python user to benefit from this workshop, but for the sake of time we’re going to assume that you are familiar with some basic syntax rules. You can get a good syntax introduction (or refresher) by watching the first couple of Python videos on NICAR-LEARN (signing up gives you a year of free access).

After registration, attendees will receive instructions on setting up their computers with the necessary software and accessing the course materials and live videos. Sessions will be taught through Zoom.

Attendees will receive:

• Live instruction from an IRE trainer, including demonstrations, hands-on activities and small-group activities.
• Support for getting up and running with Python on your home computer.
• Example Python scripts to use as a reference and adapt for your own projects.
• An opportunity for one-on-one project guidance.
• Ongoing access to all videos recorded during the bootcamp, plus additional training videos and materials.

Technical Information & Requirements

Necessary tools:

• A strong internet connection
• Zoom
• Python installed on your computer (please let us know if you’re already using a different setup, e.g. conda, pipenv, etc.)

Pre-requisites:

• You should have a beginner-level familiarity with basic Python syntax rules (data types, variable assignment, control flow statements, etc.)

Date and Time

Monday, December 4 - Thursday, December 7, 2023

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (CT)

Registration

You must be a current IRE member to attend this bootcamp. Pricing is based on the size of your audience. You can see the size definitions here.

• Division I: $600
• Division II: $500
• Division III: $400
• Division IV: $300
• University educators: $400
• Freelancers/students: $200

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be sent via email to logistics@ire.org. There is a $75 processing fee for cancellations until the week prior to the event. Refunds will not be given for cancellations after this date.