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The R Project for Statistical Computing is a free, open source statistical computing language that is popular among researchers in many fields.
The learning curve for true understanding is steep, but specific tasks (e.g., importing files from other statistical software) are often quite easy because of packages that can be created by anybody. R undergoes rapid development and improvement. Tutorials even a year old may be out of date.
Note that RStudio is currently in the process of changing names to Posit. Various tutorials may reference one or the other, but both are acceptable at this time.
See the slides from our Getting Started with R (pdf) workshop for an overview and recommendations.
Make sure you know the basic concepts and terminology that are often not taught in classes. These are short overviews of particular topics that you need to. Check the comprehensive resources for more information.
Functions in R are the same as those in any programing language, in Algebra, or in Excel. Look for a word followed by parentheses.
Videos: Functions (~1min) and Arguments (~2min, RStudio) or Using Functions (~4min, Intro 2R)
Text: Call a function on a number or Run a Function (Posit Recipies) or Functions (R4Epis)
Packages are the code for groups of functions. You must download them to your computer and load them into R to use them.
Videos: Installing Packages (~2min, RStudio) or Installing R Packages (~4min, Intro 2R)
The Pipe ( |> or %>%) is a way to "chain" functions to avoid nesting parentheses and improve workflow.
Video: Pipe (~5min) (LinkedIn Learning - Log in with Mason)
Some languages (and tutorials) call these "variables", but R's term is "objects" to avoid confusion with data variables.(columns in tabular data). It is a name (word) that represents some data, whether a single value, a group of values, or an entire dataset.
Videos: Objects in R (~3min, Intro 2R)
Text: Objects (R4Eips) - Includes the topics below.
Objects have structures (is it a group of values or a data table?), and types or classes (is it numbers or letters?).
Data Frames & Tibbles (LearnR Tutorial)
Data Types (RStudio video)
RStudio = Posit (the company is changing names)
Video walk-through specifically for Windows or Mac (OpenIntro)
Learn R in 39 minutes (39 min, Equitable Equations) - Good overview of getting started and key functions in R, but goes quickly and may use terminology some are unfamiliar with.
R for Data Science by
Use R to turn data into insight, knowledge, and understanding. With this practical book, aspiring data scientists will learn how to do data science with R and RStudio, along with the tidyverseâ??a collection of R packages designed to work together to make data science fast, fluent, and fun. Even if you have no programming experience, this updated edition will have you doing data science quickly. You'll learn how to import, transform, and visualize your data and communicate the results. And you'll get a complete, big-picture understanding of the data science cycle and the basic tools you need to manage the details. Updated for the latest tidyverse features and best practices, new chapters show you how to get data from spreadsheets, databases, and websites. Exercises help you practice what you've learned along the way. You'll understand how to: Visualize: Create plots for data exploration and communication of results Transform: Discover variable types and the tools to work with them Import: Get data into R and in a form convenient for analysis Program: Learn R tools for solving data problems with greater clarity and ease Communicate: Integrate prose, code, and results with Quarto
This book is one of the best resources and good to either read or refer to. However, non-programmers who want help with the very first steps should look elsewhere.
Many people will ultimately learn both. But, they are similar enough that you do not want to learn them at the same time--it can get confusing to switch back and forth. Knowing either one will help you learn the other. So, just pick one and get started!
If you already know another statistical software or programming language, you might try these first.
