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Do you want to learn R? This book is built on the premise that anyone with a bit of free time and a healthy curiosity can learn to use R in their studies or at work. The authors focus on using R to do useful things like writing reports, creating data and graphs, accessing datasets collected by others, preparing data, and conducting simple data analysis.

In this book you’ll learn how to: install R and RStudio®, and set up an RStudio® project and folders; write an essay with graphs based on simple real-world data using R Markdown; create variables from everyday numeric information and visualize data through ­five types of charts—bar plot, histogram, pie chart, scatter plot, and time series line plot—to identify patterns in the data; write and run R programs, and prepare your data following the tidyverse approach; import external datasets into R, install R data packages, and carry out initial data validity checks; conduct exploratory data analysis through three exercises involving data on voting outcomes, natural resource consumption, and gross domestic product (GDP) via data visualization, correlation coeffi­cient, and simple regression; and write a research paper on the impact of GDP per capita on life expectancy using R Markdown.

Student-friendly language and examples (such as binge-watched shows on Netflix, and the top 5 songs on Spotify), cumulative learning, and practice exercises make this a must-have guide for a variety of courses where data are used and reports need to be written.

Code and datasets used to carry out the examples in the book are available on an accompanying website.

 
Preface
Why Should You Learn R Too?

 
Who Should Read This Book? What Does This Book Hope to Achieve?

 
What Is in This Book? How Can You Use It?

 
What Is Unique About This Book?

 
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
CHAPTER 1 • Making Preparations: Software Installation and Project Setup
1.1 Introduction

 
1.2 How to Download and Install R for Windows

 
1.3 How to Download and Install R for Mac

 
1.4 Downloading and Installing RStudio

 
1.5 Setting Up a Project in RStudio

 
1.6 Creating Folders Under a Project

 
1.7 Summary

 
1.8 References

 
 
CHAPTER 2 • Writing Your Essay Using R Markdown: Something for Everyone
2.1 Introduction

 
2.2 The Pros of Using R Markdown

 
2.3 How to Create an R Markdown File

 
2.4 How to Write and Format Text in R Markdown

 
2.5 A Simple Example of an R Markdown Document

 
2.6 Other Useful Formatting Tricks

 
2.7 How to Use R Markdown for a Writing Assignment: A Bare-Bones Example

 
2.8 How to Revise and Improve Your Bare-Bones Essay

 
2.9 For More Ambitious Readers

 
2.10 Exercise: Turning Knowledge Into Results

 
2.11 Summary

 
2.12 References

 
 
CHAPTER 3 • Creating Data and Graphs in Your Essays
3.1 Introduction

 
3.2 Bar Plot I: Graphing the Winners of a Hot Dog Eating Contest

 
3.3 Bar Plot II: Graphing Winning Lottery Numbers in Texas Pick-3

 
3.4 Pie Chart: Graphing the Composition of Daily Plays Among Top 5 Songs on Spotify

 
3.5 Histogram: Graphing the Distribution of LSAT Scores in a Review Class

 
3.6 Scatter Plot: Graphing the Relationship Between Two Variables— Gas Mileages in the City and on the Highway

 
3.7 Time Series Plot: Graphing the Changing Pattern of YouTube Video Views

 
3.8 Useful Tips: Polishing and Exporting Graphs

 
3.9 Summary

 
3.10 References

 
 
CHAPTER 4 • Preparing Your Data
4.1 Introduction

 
4.2 Writing and Running a Program in R

 
4.3 Creating Variables and Forming a Dataset

 
4.4 Manipulating Data Using the dplyr Package

 
4.5 Chaining Different Data Manipulation Operations: pipe (%>%)

 
4.6 Missing Values in R: NA

 
4.7 Summary

 
4.8 References

 
 
CHAPTER 5 • Accessing Datasets
5.1 Introduction

 
5.2 Setting Up an RStudio Project

 
5.3 Downloading a Dataset

 
5.4 Installing R Packages for Data Importing

 
5.5 Importing a Downloaded Dataset in RStudio

 
5.6 Using R Data Packages: A Simple Example With gapminder

 
5.7 Using R Data Packages: A More Advanced Example With wbstats

 
5.8 Using R Data Packages: Finding More R Data Packages

 
5.9 Where Can You Find More Data?

 
5.10 Summary

 
5.11 References

 
 
CHAPTER 6 • Exploratory Data Analysis: Three Exercises
6.1 Introduction

 
6.2 Exercise 1: Reporting Results of the 2016 Presidential Primary in King County, Washington

 
6.3 Exercise 2: Human Use of Natural Resources: Consumption and Biocapacity

 
6.4 Exercise 3: Exploring the Impact of GDP per Capita on Life Expectancy

 
6.5 Summary

 
6.6 References

 
 
CHAPTER 7 • Writing Your Research Paper Using R: Analyzing the Effect of Economic Development on Life Expectancy

Supplements

Student Study Site
Code and datasets for the examples in the book are available on an accompanying website.

given the COVID crisis I did not have the time to devote to learning a new statistics software. this would have limited my ability to use the book in class. but am strongly considering it for future

Dr Ryan Voris
Political Science Dept, Abraham Baldwin Agri College
August 2, 2020

Really do not see the point of this book. Can't imagine using it.

Dr Eric Graig
Sociology Dept, Cuny Queens College
October 13, 2020

Sage College Publishing

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