Graph Databases

In data journalism, we tend to use relational databases – data in table form – such as Excel or SQL to do our analysis and find stories. Graph databases are different, but are incredibly useful to find connections or patterns within our data that would be difficult, if not impossible, to spot using a relational database.

Session 1:

This session will provide a hands-on introduction to graph database Neo4j, showing examples of its use for investigative stories including the Panama Papers, and demonstrate how to build a graph database of political donations and match them with corporate data to see at a glance the networks involved.

Session 2:

In part two, you will learn to analyse your newly built graph database using Cypher, Neo4j’s query language. It is advisable to have completed part one to get the most out of this session.