Data Analysis and Visualization using R
Event Date(s): July 11-12, 2012
Time: 9:30 am-4:30 pm
Location: W13 Machmer Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Description: Living in the midst of a data revolution, scientists must continually cultivate skills in telling stories effectively with data. In recent years, R—a free, open-source statistical software package—has become one of the most popular tools for scientists and statisticians looking to conduct data analyses and create publication-quality data graphics. The active community of R users and developers has made it the fastest-growing statistical tool in the world, with close to 4,000 user-contributed packages that extend the basic functionality of R. This workshop will provide an introduction to conducting data analysis using R, with a focus on data visualization. No prior R experience is needed, although some experience using other statistical software (e.g. Stata, SAS) is recommended. At the end of the workshop, participants should be able to:
- read and write simple R programs designed to analyze and visualize data;
- describe a dataset in R using visual and statistical summaries of the variables;
- fit, validate, and summarize multivariable regression models using R;
- create maps in R that display geo-spatial patterns in data.
Workshop Leaders:
Nicholas Reich is a Research Assistant Professor at the UMass School of Public Health and Health Sciences. He earned his PhD in Biostatistics from Johns Hopkins University and also has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. His primary research interests are in developing models for complex and dynamic disease systems, developing statistical methods that can draw accurate inferences from disease surveillance data, and optimizing design and analysis strategies for cluster- or group-randomized studies. In his active collaborations with faculty in a wide range of disciplines, he also advises on statistical issues such as missing data, model validation, and capturing variable interactions. He has taught R workshops at the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand, most recently in March 2012. While at Johns Hopkins, he received the Helen Abbey Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Department of Biostatistics.
Fees: Faculty: $150/Graduate Students: $75 (Lunch will be provided both days.)