Introduction to R Beginners
This module introduces the use of R, a programming language originally developed for statistical data analysis. In this course, we will use R through R Studio, a user-friendly interface for R. Students will learn ways of reading spreadsheet data into R, the notion of data type, how to manipulate data in major data types, draw basic graphs, summarise data with descriptive statistics, and perform basic inferential statistics (e.g., t-test). This module is intended primarily for students who have no prior experience in programming. This course covers how to perform data analysis with R but does not introduce analytical techniques.
This module is designed for MPhil and PhD students as part of the Social Science Research Methods Centre (SSRMC) training programme - a shared platform for providing research students with a broad range of quantitative and qualitative research methods skills that are relevant across the social sciences.
- Knowledge of descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, standard deviation) and familiarity with basic inferential statistical tests (e.g., t-test).
- To use the Titan Teaching Room computers you must bring your password for the Desktop Services system. Please note, your password for the Desktop Services system is distinct from your Raven/department/email password. If you are uncertain about this you are advised to go to the University Computing Service Helpdesk before the first day of class or find out more on the UCS Newcomers page.
- You must have enrolled for the module's Moodle course page (instructions: http://www.ssrmc.group.cam.ac.uk/ssrmc-modules/moodle)
Number of sessions: 2
| # | Date | Time | Venue | Trainer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tue 17 Jan 2017 14:00 - 18:00 | 14:00 - 18:00 | Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site | map | Akira Murakami |
| 2 | Wed 18 Jan 2017 14:00 - 18:00 | 14:00 - 18:00 | Titan Teaching Room 1, New Museums Site | map | Akira Murakami |
- Reading data
- Basic data types
- Manipulating data
- Drawing figures with ggplot2
- Calculating descriptive statistics
- table() and apply family
- Basic inferential statistics
Upon completion of the module, students will be able to perform basic operations with R and R Studio, including drawing basic graphs, calculating descriptive statistics, and performing basic inferential statistical tests.
Presentation, demonstration and practicals
- Lander, J. (2014). R for everyone: Advanced analytics and graphics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley.
- Matloff, N. (2011). The art of R programming: A tour of statistical software design.
- Field, A., Miles, J., & Field, Z. (2012). Discovering statistics using R. London: Sage Publications.
A series of practical exercises that at least partially simulate real-life tasks in the manipulation and analysis of quantitative data.
All students are expected to give feedback for each module they take...
At the end of each module, students will be sent a link to a very short evaluation form. They will also be able to find this link on the Moodle page for their course. The survey takes a few minutes to fill in, and can even be done on a mobile phone. Students that do not respond to the survey the first time, will receive regular automated reminders until the survey is completed.
Students will not be given certification or proof of attendance for any module for which they have not provided feedback.
- To gain maximum benefits from the course it is important that students do not see this course in isolation from the other MPhil courses or research training they are taking.
- Responsibility lies with each student to consider the potential for their own research using methods common in fields of the social sciences that may seem remote. Ideally this task will be facilitated by integration of the SSRMC with discipline-specific courses in their departments and through reading and discussion.
Four sessions of two hours each
Once a week for four weeks
Booking / availability