R Resources

What is R?

R is a free, open-source programming language and software environment for statistical analysis and data visualization. Students and researchers can use R to explore data, apply statistical methods, and communicate results.

What can you do with R?

Examples include:

• Summarize data: Calculate means, medians, standard deviations, and frequency tables.
• Visualize data: Create histograms, boxplots, scatterplots, and other graphs.
• Perform statistical analyses: Conduct hypothesis tests, construct confidence intervals, and fit regression models.
• Explore probability: Simulate random samples and investigate probability distributions.
• Prepare data and reports: Organize datasets and combine code, results, and explanations in reproducible reports.

Get started with R and RStudio

R performs the calculations and statistical analyses. RStudio provides an interface for writing code, viewing plots, managing files, and accessing help. The open-source edition of RStudio Desktop is free.

1. Download R from the R Project website.
2. Download RStudio Desktop from Posit.
3. Install R first, then RStudio. Open RStudio to begin working with R.

Learning resources

• An Introduction to R: Official R manual — An introduction to R commands, data structures, graphics, and statistical modeling.
• R for Data Science: Free online textbook — Learn to import, organize, transform, and visualize data through explanations and exercises. A useful starting point for students interested in data analysis.
• RStudio User Guide — Guidance on using the RStudio interface, managing projects, running code, and configuring accessibility features, including screen reader support.
• ggplot2 documentation and examples — Learn how to create and customize graphs using the ggplot2 package. A package adds tools and functions to R.