Course content
Estimated Time: ≈ 3–4 hours (full course, including all 6 modules)
Prerequisite: Course 4. Building Graphs in Neo4j
Course Overview
In this fifth course of the Wellespring Project learning series, we'll continue to build on what we've accomplished so far. In Course 4, you got started with Neo4j Aura and now have a working graph database. It's small and you still may not understand it very well, but you'll become more familiar as you continue to practice, adding data, etc. In this course, you’ll learn how to ask questions of your data—turning raw connections into insight.
Through hands-on practice with the Cypher query language, you'll move from simple retrievals to interpretive exploration: tracing lyrical themes, mapping collaborations, and revealing how songs, people, and ideas interact within the Wellespring graph. By the end, you'll be able to construct meaningful queries that uncover patterns, relationships, and stories in your data. While we'll do this all in the context of the Wellespring Project's focus on singer-songwriter Jesse Welles, a little thought on your part will allow you to transfer this to Neo4j graphs on any topic.
What You'll Learn
By completing this course, you will be able to:
- Explain what Cypher is and how it expresses graph logic.
- Retrieve, filter, and sort data using
MATCH,WHERE,RETURN, andORDER BY. - Aggregate and summarize results using
COUNT,COLLECT,DISTINCT, and basic math functions. - Explore multi-step relationships and paths to see how meaning travels through a network.
- Combine quantitative and qualitative insights to support humanistic interpretation.
- Debug, refine, and reflect on your own queries as analytical arguments.
Course Structure
| Module | Title | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Language of Connections: What Is Cypher? |
Learn Cypher's logic, syntax, and human-readable style |
| 2 | Finding and Filtering Data: MATCH, WHERE, RETURN |
Locate patterns and limit results to what matters |
| 3 | Counting, Grouping, and Summarizing: Aggregation in Cypher |
Use COUNT, COLLECT, DISTINCTto produce structured insight |
| 4 | Following Paths: Exploring Depth and Direction |
Trace multi-step relationships and interpret patterns |
| 5 | From Query to Interpretation: Telling Stories with Data |
Translate results into humanistic arguments and reflection |
| 6 | Common Errors, Good Habits, and Next Steps |
Troubleshooting, ethics, and preparation for visualization |
How This Course Connects
- Backward: builds directly on Course 4: Building Graphs in Neo4j.
- Forward: prepares for Course 6: Visualizing Networks of Meaning and for the NLP sequence (Course 7: Introduction to Natural Language Processing).
- Within Wellespring: positions Cypher as both analytical tool and interpretive lens, reinforcing the project's commitment to human-centered, transparent data practice.
Get started with Module 1: The Language of Connections: What Is Cypher?
About the author
Darrell J. Rohl
Scholar of archaeology, heritage, and digital tools in the humanities and social sciences. Founder of the Wellespring Project.