GitHub Skill Building Tutorials for Students & Researchers

Author

Vanessa Quintana

Published

June 19, 2025

Preface

Welcome to GitHub Workflow Skill Building, a practical tutorial designed to help you develop confidence using Git and GitHub through real-world tasks. Whether you’re an independent researcher, student, or team collaborator, this guide will help you navigate version control effectively using tools like Git GUI, VSCode, and RStudio.

This book walks you through the GitHub workflow step-by-step, with separate chapters for each tool and task. You’ll learn not just the “how,” but also the “why” behind key practices in collaborative version control.

In these pages, you’ll learn how to:

  • Clone repositories using the browser, Git GUI, VSCode, and RStudio

  • Create new local repositories and connect them to GitHub

  • Fork other people’s projects and contribute using pull requests

  • Resolve version conflicts and recover lost or stashed changes

  • Troubleshoot common problems with Git and GitHub

  • Maintain a healthy repository through everyday best practices

Each chapter is structured around learning objectives, visual instructions, video walkthroughs, and clear troubleshooting tips. You’ll find code snippets and guidance tailored to the platform you prefer to work in, whether you’re coding in R, Python, or just managing documentation.

By the end of this book, you’ll be able to:

  • Start and maintain your own GitHub repositories

  • Confidently contribute to others’ projects using forks and branches

  • Prevent and resolve version issues

  • Use GitHub to support reproducible, collaborative, and well-documented work

About the Author

I am an ecological modeler with a focus on aquatic ecosystems, collaborative science, and accessible tools for interdisciplinary work. I created this tutorial to support learners from all backgrounds, whether you are new to version control or looking to build confidence across different platforms. My goal is to make GitHub feel approachable and useful, especially for those working in research, data analysis, or team-based projects. I regularly use Git, R, and Python in my own workflows and hope this guide helps you feel more empowered in yours.

How to Cite This Tutorial

Quintana, V. (2025). GitHub Skill Building Tutorials for Students & Researchers. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15717297