Create repository structure for 5 groups to collaborate on data visualization projects

[Copilot]

Overview

This PR implements a complete repository structure to support five different groups (3-4 members each) working collaboratively on data visualization problems during class time.

Changes Made

Group Workspaces

Created five dedicated group directories (group1/ through group5/), each containing:

• Comprehensive README with team member sections, project guidelines, and workflow recommendations
• Clear instructions for getting started and best practices for collaboration
• Links to shared resources and templates

Shared Resources

Established a shared-resources/ directory with three key subdirectories:

📊 datasets/ - A centralized location for common datasets that all groups can use, reducing duplication and ensuring consistency across projects.

📋 templates/ - Project templates to help groups get started quickly. Includes a ready-to-use basic-project/ template with:

• Complete directory structure (data/, notebooks/, visualizations/)
• Sample Jupyter notebook demonstrating data exploration and visualization workflows
• Python dependencies in requirements.txt
• Documentation template for project README

🛠️ utilities/ - A space for shared helper functions and common code that can be reused across projects.

Documentation

Added comprehensive documentation at every level:

• Main README providing repository overview, navigation, and getting started guide
• Group-specific READMEs with workflow recommendations and tips for success
• Resource-specific documentation explaining how to use datasets, templates, and utilities
• Example usage patterns and best practices for data visualization projects

Configuration

Added .gitignore configured for Python, R, and data science projects to exclude:

• Build artifacts and virtual environments
• Data files (except those in shared-resources/datasets/)
• IDE configurations and OS-specific files
• Temporary files and caches

How Groups Use This Structure

Groups can start working immediately by:

1. Navigating to their group directory (e.g., cd group1/)
2. Copying the project template: cp -r ../shared-resources/templates/basic-project/ my-visualization-project/
3. Customizing the template for their specific visualization problem
4. Following the structured workflow outlined in the documentation

Benefits

• Isolation: Each group has their own workspace to avoid conflicts
• Consistency: Shared templates ensure uniform project structure
• Collaboration: Clear guidelines for 3-4 member teams to work together
• Reusability: Shared resources prevent duplication of common code and datasets
• Scalability: Easy to add more projects, groups, or resources as needed
• Documentation: Comprehensive guides help students focus on visualization rather than setup

The repository is now ready for all five groups to begin their data visualization projects with a professional, well-organized structure.

Original prompt

build a repository structure that supports five different groups of 3-4 working together during class time on a variety of data visualization problems.

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