NZCBI Data and Computing Reference Documentation
Practical guides for managing research data and using computing resources at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Whether you're working with camera trap imagery, acoustic recordings, genomic sequences, GIS layers, high resolution satellite imagery, or video from animal behavior studies, these guides cover how to organize, store, share, and compute on your data using NZCBI and Smithsonian-supported systems.
Which Guide Do I Need?
| I want to… | Start here |
|---|---|
| Organize my project data — naming conventions, folder structure, metadata, backup strategy | Guide 1: Data Management Basics |
| Learn the basics of R — install, basic concepts, data manipulation, analysis, summary | Guide 2: Introduction to R |
| Run computational analyses on Hydra — log in, submit jobs, monitor progress, manage data | Guide 3: Getting Started on Hydra |
| Use Hydra for R-Studio analyses — connect, access, supercharge data analysis | Guide 4: Running R-Studio from Hydra |
| Share and archive code using github — store, manage, track, share | Guide 5: Initiate a Repo with GitHub |
| Develop data computing standards — enable interoperatiliby, improve efficiency, and foster collaboration | Guide 6: Data Computing Standards |
| Learn about the data lifecycle — plan, create/collect, store, use, share, archive/destroy | Guide 7: Understanding the Data Lifecycle |
| More guides — coming soon | — |
This site is actively being developed
We're rolling out documentation for NZCBI research computing topics one guide at a time. If there's something specific you'd like covered, open an issue or email the relevant contact below.
Who This Documentation Is For
-
Undergraduate interns
New to research computing. Start with the basics and build up.
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Graduate students & postdocs
Detailed procedures, conventions, and how to plug into NZCBI systems.
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Staff researchers
Quick reference for day-to-day workflows and troubleshooting.
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Principal Investigators
Policies, compliance, and strategic data-management planning.
Getting Help
| Topic | Contact |
|---|---|
| General data management questions | fergusc@si.edu |
| Smithsonian HPC (Hydra) accounts and support | SI-HPC@si.edu |
| Globus file transfers | SI-Globus@si.edu |
| This documentation — corrections or suggestions | Open an issue |
Quick Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Smithsonian Data Management Guidance | library.si.edu/research/data-management |
| Globus Web App | app.globus.org |
| Globus at the Smithsonian | smithsonian.github.io/globus-docs |
Maintained by NZCBI · Last updated: · Submit corrections via GitHub issues or the contacts above.