Week 1 - Welcome to rbtl!

In our first lecture, we will discuss the objectives and intentions of the course, begin our discussion on terminology and get to know each other.

Figure 1: Photo by Jaromír Kavan

Learning Objectives

This first lecture consists of two parts, each of which have specific learning objectives.

Part 1

1. Learners understand the structure of the course, including expectations and outputs
2. Learners will be able to articulate the assumptions and histories associated with “field work”

Part 2

1. Learners can navigate the platforms that are used to distribute course information
2. Learners can create a repository on GitHub
3. Learners can edit a file on GitHub

Slides

title	lecturer	part	slides
Introduction to rbtl	E. Tilley	Part 1	Access slides on Moodle
Welcome to the course!	L. Schöbitz	Part 2	Access slides in browser
Welcome to the course!	L. Schöbitz	Part 2	Access slides as PDF

Group work

1. Decide, within your group, who will take each of the five papers in (groups of 5: 1 person for each paper)
2. Read your paper for next class. Pay close attention to:
   • The research question
   • The methods the authors use to collect their data
   • The variables (and units) that are measured
   • The types of analysis that is used to answer the research question
3. You will use your paper to inspire conversations within your group as you work through the subsequent exercises in the coming weeks.
4. Enjoy!

Papers

• O’Brien, J., & Thondhlana, G. (2019). Plastic bag use in South Africa: Perceptions, practices and potential intervention strategies. Waste Management, 84, 320-328.

• Ferronato, N., Preziosi, G., Portillo, M. A. G., Lizarazu, E. G. G., & Torretta, V. (2020). Assessment of municipal solid waste selective collection scenarios with geographic information systems in Bolivia. Waste Management, 102, 919-931.

• Nemathaga, F., Maringa, S., & Chimuka, L. (2008). Hospital solid waste management practices in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A case study of two hospitals. Waste Management, 28(7), 1236-1245.

• Pathak, D. R., Mainali, B., Abuel-Naga, H., Angove, M., & Kong, I. (2020). Quantification and characterization of the municipal solid waste for sustainable waste management in newly formed municipalities of Nepal. Waste Management & Research, 38(9), 1007-1018.

• Philippe, F., & Culot, M. (2009). Household solid waste generation and characteristics in Cape Haitian city, Republic of Haiti. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 54(2), 73-78.

Homework

id	title_link	type	category	effort_estimate_min	submission_format	due_date
1	Week 1 - Hello GitHub	assignment	required	45	GitHub	2022-03-15
2	Read the Syllabus carefully	reading	required	15	no submission
3	What is open source?	reading	required	15	no submission
4	Excuse Me, Do You Have a Moment to Talk About Version Control?	reading	recommended	30	no submission
5	Reproducible? Replicable? Robust? Generalisable?	reading	recommended	10	no submission
6	Six arguments why you benefit from reproducible workflows to your research	reading	recommended	10	no submission