Git, Github, Github Pages

Carolina Torreblanca

University of Pennsylvania

Global Development: Intermediate Topics in Politics, Policy, and Data

PSCI 3200 - Spring 2026

Logistics

Final Project Assignments

Milestone	Due Date
~~Create a GitHub repository~~	~~Feb 23~~
~~Research Question and Data~~	~~Feb 23~~
Research Design	Mar 18
Expanded Research Design	Apr 6
Final Project	Apr 29

Warning

Late assignments deduct 2 points per day

Today’s Goal

By the end of class, you will have a live website hosting your final project

Your workflow for the rest of the semester:

Edit .qmd file in RStudio
Render
Commit + push with GitHub Desktop
Your website updates automatically

Pre-Work Check

Did Everyone Complete the Setup?

Open GitHub Desktop right now

Can you see your psci3200_yourname repo?
Is it cloned to a local folder on your computer?
Did you successfully push a test commit last week?

If not — raise your hand and we’ll troubleshoot

Troubleshooting

“I created my repo on github.com but never installed git”

That’s OK! Follow the setup instructions now
Mac: open Terminal, run xcode-select --install
Windows: download from git-scm.com

“GitHub Desktop won’t let me push”

Sign out and back in: Preferences → Accounts → Sign Out → Sign In
Make sure you’re signed into the account that owns the repo

Quick Git Recap

What is Git?

Git is a version control program, so you can avoid…

analysis.R
analysis_v1.R
analysis_v2.R
analysis_v2_FINAL.R

Version control allows you to precisely track changes

Git Basics

Git hosts data and code

“Remote” (main) on github.com
“Local” on your harddrive(s) in a designated folder
Resembles Dropbox/Drive synch + Version history

Git Basics

The workflow

git pull origin main — download latest changes
git add . — stage your changes
git commit -m "describe your changes" — save a snapshot
git push origin main — upload to github.com

GitHub Desktop does all of this with buttons instead of commands

Git Basics

Commit + Push in GitHub Desktop

Git Basics

Push to your repo

Github Pages

What is Github Pages?

Free website hosting from GitHub
Your repo becomes a website at yourusername.github.io/reponame
Push changes to your repo → website updates automatically

We are going to turn your psci3200_yourname repo into a website for your final project

Step 1: Turn Your Repo into a Quarto Website

In RStudio: Open your cloned psci3200_yourname folder as a project

File → Open Project → navigate to your repo folder

Create _quarto.yml: File → New File → Text File → Save as _quarto.yml

project:
  type: website
  output-dir: docs

website:
  title: "Your Name - PSCI 3200"

Step 1: Turn Your Repo into a Quarto Website

Why output-dir: docs?

When you render, Quarto creates .html files from your .qmd files
output-dir: docs tells Quarto to put them in a docs/ folder (created automatically)
Later, we’ll tell Github Pages to serve whatever is in docs/ as your website

Step 2: Set Up Your Homepage

Create index.qmd: File → New File → Quarto Document → Save as index.qmd

---
title: "Your Name - PSCI 3200 Final Project"
---

## Welcome

This site hosts my final project for PSCI 3200.

Render it: click the Render button in RStudio or run in terminal:

quarto render

Step 3: Add Your RQ Assignment

Copy your Research Question and Data .qmd file into the root folder of your repo (not docs/ — never put files there manually)
Add the page to your _quarto.yml navigation:

project:
  type: website
  output-dir: docs

website:
  title: "Your Name - PSCI 3200"
  navbar:
    left:
      - href: index.qmd
        text: Home
      - href: rq_data.qmd
        text: Research Question

Step 3: Add Your RQ Assignment

Render again to generate the full site:

quarto render

You should see a docs/ folder appear with .html files

Step 4: Push to GitHub

In GitHub Desktop:

You should see all the new files under “Changes”
Write a commit message (e.g., “set up project website”)
Click Commit to main
Click Push origin

Step 5: Enable Github Pages

On github.com, go to your repo → Settings → Pages (left sidebar)

Step 5: Enable Github Pages

Set source: Branch → main, Folder → /docs → Save

Step 6: See It Live!

Wait 1-2 minutes, then visit:

https://yourusername.github.io/psci3200_yourname/

You should see your homepage and your Research Question page in the navigation bar

This is now your final project website for the rest of the semester

The Workflow Going Forward

Edit → Render → Push → Live

Every time you work on your final project:

Edit your .qmd file in RStudio
Render (button or quarto render)
Commit + Push in GitHub Desktop
Check your website — changes appear in 1-2 minutes

Building Your Final Project Over Time

Right now you have your RQ assignment as a .qmd on your site
For your final project, you will create a new .qmd that brings everything together
As you complete milestones (Research Design, Expanded Design), practice the workflow: add a new .qmd → update _quarto.yml → render → push
By the end of the semester, your site hosts your complete final project

Example: The Course Website Repo

This is the repo for the website you’ve been using all semester:

psci3200-globaldev-main/
├── _quarto.yml            ← website config + navbar
├── index.qmd              ← homepage
├── syllabus.qmd           ← another page
├── schedule.qmd           ← another page
├── assignments/           ← assignment pages
├── materials/             ← lecture material pages
├── slides/                ← slide decks
├── data/                  ← data files
└── docs/                  ← generated by quarto render

Same structure you’re building just with more pages!

Your Repo Structure

By the end of today, your repo should look like:

psci3200_yourname/
├── _quarto.yml
├── index.qmd
├── rq_data.qmd          ← your RQ assignment
└── docs/                 ← generated by quarto render
    ├── index.html
    └── rq_data.html

Workshop Deliverable

By end of day today, send me on Slack:

The URL of your live Github Pages site (e.g., https://yourusername.github.io/psci3200_yourname/)
Your Research Question and Data assignment should be visible on the site

If you get stuck, post on Slack — troubleshooting git is a rite of passage