Introduction to GitHub

Author

Madeline Ratoza

Introduction to GitHub

GitHub is a platform that allows people to store, manage, and collaborate on code online. It is built on top of a tool called Git, which is a version control system.

Version control means that Git tracks every change made to a project over time, allowing users to:

  • See what changed
  • Go back to earlier versions
  • Work with others without overwriting each other’s work

You can think of GitHub as a shared workspace for code projects, similar to how Google Docs allows multiple people to collaborate on documents.

Key Concepts

Repository (Repo)

A repository is a project folder stored on GitHub. It contains the files that make up a project and the full history of changes made to those files.

A repository may include:

  • Code files
  • Data files
  • Documentation
  • Analysis scripts
  • The complete history of edits

For example, a research repository might contain:

  • analysis.R
  • data_cleaning.py
  • figures/
  • README.md

Git

Git is the system that tracks changes in a project. When someone edits a file, Git records:

  • What changed
  • Who made the change
  • When the change happened

This makes it easy to track progress and revert mistakes if necessary.

Commits

A commit is a saved snapshot of changes made to the project.

Each commit includes a short message describing the update, such as:

“Added code to generate county population map”

Commits create checkpoints in the project’s history.

Push and Pull

These terms describe how changes move between a user’s computer and GitHub.

Push

Send local changes from your computer to the GitHub repository.

Pull

Download the latest version of the repository from GitHub.

These actions help ensure collaborators are working with the most up-to-date files.

Branches

A branch allows collaborators to create a separate version of the project to test new ideas or make updates without affecting the main project.

For example:

  • main branch — stable version of the project
  • analysis-update branch — experimental changes

Branches allow multiple collaborators to work independently.

Pull Requests

A pull request is a request to merge changes from one branch into another (usually into the main branch).

Pull requests allow collaborators to:

  • Review code
  • Suggest changes
  • Discuss updates
  • Approve contributions before merging them

How GitHub Supports Collaboration

GitHub supports collaborative work in several ways.

Shared Repository

All collaborators work from the same central repository rather than sharing files by email.

Version Tracking

Git records every change, allowing users to revert to previous versions if necessary.

Transparent Contributions

GitHub shows who made changes, what changed, and when it happened.

Code Review

Pull requests allow teams to review code before it becomes part of the main project.

Documentation and Communication

Repositories often include:

  • README.md files explaining the project
  • Issue trackers for bugs or tasks
  • Discussion threads

Example Workflow

A typical GitHub collaboration might look like this:

  1. A repository is created on GitHub.
  2. Collaborators clone the repository to their computers.
  3. A collaborator writes or edits code.
  4. They commit their changes.
  5. They push the update to GitHub.
  6. A pull request is opened to merge the changes.
  7. Collaborators review and approve the changes.
  8. The update is merged into the main branch.

Example Uses in Research

GitHub is widely used in research to:

  • Share analysis code for reproducibility
  • Collaborate on data analysis pipelines
  • Maintain teaching materials
  • Develop software tools or packages
  • Archive code associated with publications

For example, a GIS-based health equity project might share:

  • Data cleaning scripts
  • Spatial analysis code
  • Figure generation scripts
  • Documentation explaining the workflow

In summary: GitHub is a platform that allows individuals and teams to store code, track changes, and collaborate on projects in an organized and transparent way.

Setting Up a GitHub Profile

Before using GitHub to share or collaborate on code, you will need to create and configure a GitHub account.

1. Create a GitHub Account

Go to:

https://github.com

Click Sign Up and create an account using your email address. During registration you will choose:

  • A username
  • A password
  • Your preferred email for notifications

Your username will become part of your GitHub profile URL:

https://github.com/yourusername

Choose a username you are comfortable using professionally.

2. Complete Your Profile

Once your account is created, you can edit your profile by clicking your avatar in the top right corner and selecting Your Profile.

Helpful profile elements include:

  • Profile photo – helps collaborators recognize you
  • Name – your real name
  • Bio – a short description of your work or interests
  • Institution or organization
  • Location
  • Links (personal website, Google Scholar, ORCID, etc.)

Example bio:

Health equity researcher using GIS and data science to study access to rehabilitation services.

3. Add a Profile README (Optional but Useful)

GitHub allows users to create a profile README that appears on their profile page.

To do this:

  1. Create a repository with the same name as your GitHub username
  2. Add a file named README.md
  3. Use Markdown to describe your work, projects, or interests

Many researchers use their profile README to share:

  • Current research projects
  • Programming languages or tools
  • Publications
  • Links to datasets or repositories

4. Set Up Git on Your Computer

If you plan to upload code from your computer, you will also need to install Git.

Download Git from:

https://git-scm.com

After installation, configure your name and email in the terminal:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your_email@example.com"

This ensures your commits are properly attributed to you.

5. Connecting GitHub to Your Computer

There are two common ways to connect GitHub to your computer:

HTTPS (simpler for beginners)
Uses your GitHub login credentials when pushing changes.

SSH (more advanced)
Uses cryptographic keys to authenticate automatically.

Most beginners start with HTTPS and later switch to SSH if needed.

Summary

Setting up GitHub involves:

  1. Creating an account
  2. Completing your profile
  3. (Optional) Creating a profile README
  4. Installing Git on your computer
  5. Connecting Git to your GitHub account

Once your profile is set up, you can begin creating repositories and sharing code with collaborators.