How it works

This course is based on our experience in private informal sessions and the Snipette Writers' Programme. We understand that no two peoples' ideas or problems or finished products will be identical; hence a lot of how the course works depends on your personal needs. However, here's what will remain constant:

• 1

  Your workplace will begin as a Google Docs sheet. This is where you will be brainstorming ideas and figuring out what area you want to research. In the meantime, you will also be in touch with the team over email.

• 2

  Once your topic is chosen, we will work together on finding links, resources, and publicly available datasets. Of course, all details and final choices will be up to you.

• 3

  You will then switch to a Google Colab notebook, where you will document your project, data analytics, and visualization with state of the art Python-based data analysis tools.

• 4

  We will guide you in constructing a compelling data-based story based on your analyses.

• 5

  Once your conclusions are ready, you will move back to Google Docs to present your findings.

• 6

  When all is done, you will be ready for publication! This happens in two components:

  • A more technical overview of your work, along with graphs, stats, and links to raw data. This is aimed at being shared with the data science community, through the Emergent Phenomena Medium publication. Emergent Phenomenan is a space for innovative work at the interface of data, storytelling, and society, filling a much-needed niche for in-depth analyses on societal issues backed by data.
  • A more general-purpose article which gives a general overview of your chosen topic and provides context for where your work fits in. This is aimed at spreading awareness of the topic and your findings to the general public. You will use literary techniques like suspense and metaphor to get your point across, and the final article will be published in Snipette—a magazine seeking to explain the world in a fun and accessible way.

Once both versions of your article are published, you will receive a certificate of completion from Snipette/Emergent Phenomena and a print copy of the edition in which your article appears. The whole process is expected to take 6-8 weeks. Given that the course is wholly unique and tailored specifically to each participant, timings may vary from person to person.