Introduction to SQL Online
Learn the fundamentals of Structured Query Language (SQL) through a hands-on introduction using SQLite Online, a free, browser-based environment that requires no software installation. This beginner-friendly workshop will introduce participants to the basic concepts of relational databases and provide practical experience writing and running SQL queries.
Participants will learn how to retrieve, filter, sort, and summarize data using SQL and will work through examples using a sample database. The workshop will also introduce concepts such as tables, fields, records, primary keys, and relationships between tables. By the end of the session, participants will have a foundation for using SQL to explore and analyze structured research data.
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Explain basic relational database concepts, including tables, records, fields, and keys.
- Navigate and use SQLite Online to create and run SQL queries.
- Write basic SQL queries using SELECT and FROM.
- Filter and sort data using WHERE and ORDER BY.
- Use SQL functions to summarize and aggregate data, including COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, and MAX.
- Group and summarize data using GROUP BY.
- Combine information from multiple tables using basic JOIN operations.
- Apply SQL queries to explore and extract information from structured datasets.
Details: Any preparatory work for the session can be found on its information page. This virtual workshop will be recorded and shared on the same page, and discoverable via the Sherman Centre's Online Learning Catalogue.
Certificate Eligibility: This workshop is eligible for the Sherman Centre's certificate program. For more information, visit scds.ca/certificate-program. It is also eligible for the Canadian Certificate for Digital Humanities. To learn more, visit ccdhhn.ca or contact scds@mcmaster.ca.
- Date:
- Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Time:
- 1:30pm - 3:30pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Online:
- This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.
- Audience:
- McMaster + Community
- Categories:
- DMDS DRI Training SCDS Sponsored Events Workshops
CODE OF CONDUCT
The Sherman Centre and the McMaster University Libraries are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for its presenters and participants. As a participant in this session, you agree to support and help cultivate an experience that is collaborative, respectful, and inclusive, as well as free of harassment, discrimination, and oppression. We reserve the right to remove participants who exhibit harassing, malicious or persistently disruptive behaviour.
We strive to make this event accessible to everyone. Where possible, sessions are recorded and include live captioning, and we will share recordings, slides, and transcripts afterward so you can revisit the content at your own pace. Because these materials are provided, and to help protect participant privacy and consent, we ask that attendees do not use AI note-taking or automated recording tools (such as Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Zoom AI Companion, or similar apps) without prior permission from the organizers.
Please refer to our code of conduct webpage for more information.
John Fink is the Digital Scholarship Librarian at the Sherman Centre. John’s (he/they) talents lie in complex and innovative systems administration, project management and hardware infrastructure. He also has an interest in the maker/hacker element in digital scholarship, and is frequently spotted tinkering with esoteric hardware. If you are interested in having the Sherman Centre support your project, John is an excellent first contact.
Vivek (he/him) provides research support and consultation in the discovery, access, management, and use of quantitative and numeric research data. He works with students, faculty, and researchers to identify appropriate datasets, navigate data repositories, understand data documentation and metadata, and select resources that support research and teaching across a wide range of disciplines.
As part of his role, Vivek serves as McMaster University’s official representative for Statistics Canada’s Data Liberation Initiative (DLI) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). Through these programs, McMaster researchers and students have access to extensive collections of high-quality research data covering the social sciences, health sciences, business, economics, education, political science, and many other disciplines.
In addition to his work with DLI and ICPSR, Vivek supports data literacy, statistical software, and research data workshops at McMaster University. His areas of support include introductory and intermediate data analysis tools and programming environments such as R, Python, SPSS, SAS, SQL, and Excel, as well as assistance with finding and evaluating datasets for research projects.
The Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship supports McMaster students, faculty, and staff, as well as anyone curious about digital scholarship. From research and teaching to training and technical support, we’re here to help bring digital projects to life at every stage!
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