To get started with data science using Python, the recommendation from experts is to get Anaconda. The Python programming language is a powerful tool whose true potential is only harnessed with the right packages and libraries. An Anaconda installation will give you those in one fell swoop rather than have to add things one by one. To install Anaconda for individual use, go here. Anaconda Individual Edition as described in the linked website Your data science toolkit With over 20 million users worldwide, the open-source Individual Edition (Distribution) is the easiest way to perform Python/R data science and machine learning on a single machine. Developed for solo practitioners, it is the toolkit that equips you to work with thousands of open-source packages and libraries. Why an IDE is nice I am pretty old school and have used vim a lot for an editor. For older programming languages like FORTRAN, that is kind of what you end up doing and I have had to do that as part of my job. However, with Python, you can expect much more. After getting Anaconda, I have been recommended to get PyCharm for the IDE or integrated development environment. Development of code can be done by opening files using any editor you like. But, that can get to be cumbersome and an IDE makes everything easier and more manageable. It will also help to autocomplete code like how your phone can autocomplete when you text. So, the steps to get started with data science using Python today are as follows: Get Anaconda Get PyCharm Run a piece of code (example below) Get started with data science using Python: Code example using Anaconda and PyCharm Full blog post: https://howtophd.org/2021/02/how-to-get-started-with-data-science-using-python-new-to-coding.html