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R Module 1 - Introduction - Http-Aejaffe - Com-Winterr - 2016

The document is an introduction to a class on R programming, led by Andrew Jaffe and John Muschelli, covering course objectives, grading, and resources. It outlines the structure of the course, including modules on data manipulation, programming syntax, and statistical tests. Additionally, it discusses the benefits and drawbacks of using R, installation instructions, and useful resources for learning R.

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lowtarhkM
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8 views18 pages

R Module 1 - Introduction - Http-Aejaffe - Com-Winterr - 2016

The document is an introduction to a class on R programming, led by Andrew Jaffe and John Muschelli, covering course objectives, grading, and resources. It outlines the structure of the course, including modules on data manipulation, programming syntax, and statistical tests. Additionally, it discusses the benefits and drawbacks of using R, installation instructions, and useful resources for learning R.

Uploaded by

lowtarhkM
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to R

Andrew Jaffe

January 4, 2016
Welcome to class!

1. Introductions
2. Class overview
3. Getting R up and running
About Me

Investigator, Lieber Institute for Brain Development Assistant


Professor, Department of Mental Health, JHSPH
PhD in Epidemiology, MHS in Bioinformatics
Email: [email protected]
Other Instructor

John Muschelli
5th year PhD student in Biostatistics
Email: [email protected]
Introductions

What do you hope to get out of the class?


Why R?
Course Website

http://www.aejaffe.com/winterR_2016/
Materials will be uploaded the night before class
Learning Objectives

I Reading data into R


I Recoding and manipulating data
I Writing R functions and using add-on packages
I Making exploratory plots
I Understanding basic programming syntax
I Performing basic statistical tests
Course Format

I 3 modules per class session, each approximately 1 hour


I “Interactive” Lecture with RStudio + slides
I Lab/Practical experience
Grading

1. Attendance/Participation: 20%
2. Nightly Homework: 3 x 15%
3. Final “Project”: 35%
Grading

I Homework 1: Due Monday 1/4 by midnight


I Homework 2: Due Wednesday 1/6 by class
I Homework 3: Due Thursday 1/7 by class
I Project: Due Friday 1/22 by 5pm
What is R?

I R is a language and environment for statistical computing and


graphics
I R is the open source implementation of the S language, which
was developed by Bell laboratories
I R is both open source and open development

(source: http://www.r-project.org/)
Why R?

I Powerful and flexible


I Free (open source)
I Extensive add-on software (packages)
I Designed for statistical computing
I High level language
Why not R?

I Fairly steep learning curve


I “Programming” oriented
I Minimal interface
I Little centralized support, relies on online community and
package developers
I Annoying to update
I Slower, and more memory intensive, than the more traditional
programming languages (C, Java, Perl, Python)
Installing R

Install the latest version from: http://cran.r-project.org/


If you have an older version of R, you may not need to update. If
you do want to update, re-install and run

update.packages(ask=FALSE)
R Studio

(Makes R easier)

I Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for R


I Syntax highlighting, code completion, and smart indentation
I Execute R code directly from the source editor
I Easily manage multiple working directories using projects
I Workspace browser and data viewer
I Plot history, zooming, and flexible image and PDF export
I Integrated R help and documentation
I Searchable command history
I http://www.rstudio.com/
Working with R

I The R Console “interprets” whatever you type


I Calculator
I Creating variables
I Applying functions
I “Analysis” Script + Interactive Exploration
I Static copy of what you did (reproducability)
I Try things out interactively, then add to your script
I R revolves around functions
I Commands that take input, performs computations, and returns
results
I Many come with R, but people write external functions you can
download and use
Useful R Studio Shortcuts

I Ctrl + Enter (Cmd + Enter on OS X) in your script


evaluates that line of code
I It’s like copying and pasting the code into the console for it to
run.
I Ctrl+1 takes you to the script page
I Ctrl+2 takes you to the console
I http://www.rstudio.com/ide/docs/using/keyboard_
shortcuts
Useful (+Free) Resources

I Homework will involve working through:


http://tryr.codeschool.com/
I DataCamp http://www.datacamp.com
I UCLA Institute for Digital Research and Education:
http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/r/
I R reference card: http://cran.r-project.org/doc/
contrib/Short-refcard.pdf
I Undergrad Guide to R: https:
//sites.google.com/site/undergraduateguidetor/
I Quick R: http://statmethods.net/

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