An Introduction to R: Software For Statistical Analysis

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An Introduction to R: Software For Statistical Analysis, with Dr Simon R. White, MRC Biostatistics Unit, and Dr Adam P. Wagner, University of Cambridge.

GNU R is (freely) available for all major platforms (Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac, etc.) and is growing in popularity in academia and beyond for carrying out statistical analysis and data manipulation.

The aim of the course is to introduce participants to the basics of statistical analysis and the open source statistical software GNU R.

Participants will actively use R throughout the course, during which they will be introduced to principles of statistical thinking and interpretation by example, exercises and discussion about a range of problems. The examples will be used to present a variety of statistical concepts and techniques, with no focus on any specific discipline.

Participants Without a Raven Password: If you do not have a Raven's account and would like to attend this course, or have other booking queries, please email Adam Wagner (apw40@medschl.cam.ac.uk).

All postgraduates, Research Assistants and Research Associates, who have had minimal exposure to statistical methods and/or software, but want to develop the necessary skills to perform analysis and gain experience using R.

• No experience with R or any other statistical software is required.
• Knowledge of a basic course in statistics would be beneficial, but not necessary.

Number of sessions: 3

The first session will cover the basics of using R:

• Using R: starting and interacting with R
• Learning how to 'learn R': asking the right questions
• Basic exploratory statistics
• Simple comparisons: hypothesis testing

The second and third session will cover several case studies/usage examples:

• Graphics with R
• Linear regression
• Categorical data
• Best practice for using R - the R work-flow

Themes:

Scientific Computing Statistical and Mathematical Software

Participants will actively use R throughout the course, during which they will be introduced to principles of statistical thinking and interpretation by example, exercises and discussion about a range of problems. The examples will be used to present a variety of statistical concepts and techniques, with no focus on any specific discipline.

The aim of the course is to introduce participants to the basics of statistical analysis and the open source statistical software GNU R.

By the end of the course, participants should have the skills to facilitate private study of more advanced topics, such as implementing statistical methods relevant to their own discipline.

Interactive workshop: participants will actively use R within the course and work through exercises and examples.

We have 12 laptops available for use at the workshop that have R pre-loaded. After these laptops have been allocated, participants will either need to share, or bring their own. These laptops will be allocated to the first individuals to express an interest in using them. Please indicate if you wish to use your own laptop or one of the 12.

Those participants bringing their own laptops must install R on them before the course (if the participant would like assistance to set up R for Windows/Linux they must arrive half an hour before the course is due to start - the course conveners are unfamiliar with Macs and will be less able to give assistance).

Three afternoon sessions, three hours each.

Once per term