Getting Started

Welcome to the V2V Hub

Complete these six steps to set up your course workspace. Time needed: 30-45 minutes, most of it waiting on downloads.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have a reliable internet connection and about 500 MB of free disk space.

Step 1: Create Your Workspace from the Template

Open the course workspace template on GitHub
Click the green Use this template button, then Create a new repository
Name your copy (for example, mc451-workspace) and create it under your own GitHub account

This gives you your own copy of the course workspace on GitHub.

Step 2: Install VS Code

Visit code.visualstudio.com
Download VS Code for your operating system
Install and open VS Code

Step 3: Install R and Quarto

Two more programs, and they are the two people most often miss. Install them in this order.

R, the language that runs your analysis: Install R
Quarto, which turns your .qmd files into finished documents: Install Quarto

Installing the VS Code extensions is not the same as installing these

VS Code has extensions named R and Quarto. They are front ends for the two programs above. They do not install them, and having them is not the same as having R and Quarto on your computer. You need both halves of each: the program, and the extension.

Verify: close any open terminal, open a new one in VS Code (Terminal, New Terminal), and run quarto check. Green check marks under Quarto and under R mean you are ready.

Step 4: Clone the Workspace and Open It in VS Code

In VS Code, open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
Run Git: Clone and paste the URL of the repository you created in Step 1
Choose a folder to clone into (for example, your Documents folder)
When prompted, open the cloned workspace folder in VS Code

Your workspace will open with folders, the journal template, and a start guide ready to go.

When VS Code prompts you to install the recommended extensions, accept them. They include:

Quarto: authoring and rendering Quarto documents
R: running and editing R code
GitLens: seeing your Git history inside the editor

These are the front ends. If you skipped Step 3, install R and Quarto themselves now, or the Render button will do nothing.

Step 5: Explore Your Workspace

Your workspace is organized into these folders:

Folder	Purpose	What’s Inside
00_inbox	Quick notes & ideas	Capture rough thoughts and discussion notes here
01_journal	Weekly reflections	Sample journal entries showing the three thinking paths (Connector, Troubleshooter, Critic)
02_literature	Reading notes & course materials	Includes textbook chapters and citation templates
03_project	Active research work	Organized by prospectus, codebook, data, and drafts folders
04_resources	Media & attachments	Images, PDFs, external files, and course materials
_templates	Reusable templates	The journal template (`_templates/journal-entry.md`) and a data dictionary template to copy and customize

Step 6: You’re Ready!

Once you complete these steps, move to Phase I: The Journalist to begin.

Start Phase I →

Troubleshooting

Q: VS Code won’t open my workspace folder - Make sure you opened the folder you cloned in Step 3, not a parent folder - Use File > Open Folder and select the cloned workspace folder directly

Q: Where do I put my weekly journal entries? - Copy _templates/journal-entry.md into 01_journal - Rename the copy something like week-01-yourname.md and fill it out

Q: Can I share my workspace with classmates? - Yes. Because the workspace is a Git repository, you can share its GitHub URL or collaborate through GitHub

Questions? Reach out via your course management system or check your course syllabus for contact information.