Chapter 1 Workshop Preparation

The Scavetta Academy Data Analysis with R workshop enables bench biologists to use the R statistical programming environment to analyse their own data. This workshop focuses on data manipulation and biostatistics modelling using relevant examples from the life sciences.

1.1 Workshop Objectives

At the end of the workshop, participants should feel comfortable enough with R to tackle their own data analysis problems. To achieve this, we will make extensive use of exercises and classroom interaction. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to bring their own data-sets to the 3-day workshop. This allows them to take advantage of class time to work on their own data and immediately apply the concepts and tools taught in the workshop.

The 5-day workshop include case studies in the life sciences. Participants are not required to bring in thir own data.

The length of the workshop affords participants enough time for advanced topics (e.g. Regular Expressions and control structures). Nonetheless, the workshop is intense and not all topics are covered in every workshop. The pace is set by the abilities and interests of the participants.

1.2 Software

Students bringing their own laptops should have the following cross-platform software pre-installed:

1.3 Statistics

The workshop takes a practical, hands-on approach to learning data analysis, but does not attempt to teach biostatistics. That is the focus of Scavetta Academy’s Statistical Literacy workshop.

1.4 Data Visualization

Basic data visualization using ggplot2 will be covered. Advanced visualisation techniques and principles are treated in more depth in Scavetta Academy’s Data Visualisation workshop.