Objective

The aim of the course is to provide basic knowledge of the R programming language to facilitate the independent use of tools written and/or implemented in this language, such as statistical analysis packages. The focus of the course is on data management and visualization.

Participants will learn, among other things, how to import data into RStudio/Posit, summarise data, create new data, cross-reference, merge data, select appropriate, graphically appealing charts in different formats, and export data and charts in different formats. We will focus on packages that are part of the tidyverse software package.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

• perform basic data operations using R
• identify potential pitfalls when handling data with R
• create basic and visually appealing diagrams using R
• identify online resources to independently answer questions and troubleshoot when programming in R

Additional information

This course is part of the Faculty of Medicine PhD courses. However, participants from other fields will also be able to benefit.

Design

The pre-course assignment involves installing RStudio/Posit and conducting independent study in basic programming concepts and terminology according to the literature list. Access to a laptop is required. The course consists of four mandatory full days with a mix of different teaching methods such as lectures, programming demonstrations and individual exercises. On the last day of the course, students will work on the examination and teachers will be available during the day. On-site participation is not required for the last day of the course. Participants who for some reason cannot attend the mandatory lectures have the possibility to work on the given exercises on their own and contact teachers according to their scheduled availability.

Assessment

The examination consists of solving assignments using programming in R. The programming scripts that are used to answer the questions are then sent to the teachers for evaluation.

Pre-requisites/requirements

• Standard desktop computer/laptop with internet connection
• It is typically not possible to admit MSc students to COMPUTE courses.

Teaching staff

Course leader: Karin Engström (karin.engstrom@med.lu.se)

Examiner: Helena Persson

Dates

Week 40 (2-6 October) 2023. Monday to Thursday 9:00 to 16:00. The final day, attendance is not mandatory.

Registration

Register here. Registration will close on July 31.

This course is the same as the one listed among the Faculty of Medicine PhD courses. If you have registered via the Faculty of Medicine already, you do not register again.