Do you want to learn #RStats, but aren't quite sure where to start?
Myself and some great colleagues from @_bios2 wrote down our best tips for learning R on your own, out today in @PLOSCompBiol 🔓
✨Ten Simple Rules for Teaching Yourself R✨
journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/a…
🧵:
RULE 1: Prepare for a steep learning curve 📈
#RStats is a language, and as such, won't be picked up in a day. When learning R, remember that progress will be slow and you may have some growing pains. As you get more practice, you'll become better at picking up new techniques.
RULE 2: Take the time to read a book 📚
No matter how general or specific an R skill you want to
learn, there is probably a great book on that skill!
One great place to look is the "Books" section on the
@rstudio website:
rstudio.com/resources/book…, but plenty more exist, too!
RULE 3: Use free resources 💰
Learning R doesn't have to be expensive. There are
loads of amazing free resources that can get you started on your R-learning journey.
Use blogs, video tutorials, & workshop slides from places like @thecarpentries, @csbq_qcbs, @ecodatasci & more!
RULE 4: Build skills with low-pressure projects 👻
Doing just-for-fun coding projects, #CreativeCoding, or adding small upgrades to existing scripts is a great way to build skills, make products, and maybe even have some fun along the way!
Some of my just-for-fun projects here-
RULE 5: Adopt good practices & be consistent 🫡
An important step in learning R is finding your ✨style✨
Whether you'll use Base R, #tidyverse, or some combination, being consistent in your code style and file organization will make your life easier as your project list grows!
RULE 6: Use CRAN's Task View 🔍
Ever needed to complete a task in R but haven't known what packages are relevant? Well CRAN has just the thing for you!
Task View allows browsing by subject to help you discover published packages for any R task!
RULE 7: Ask for help (and help others) 💬🆘
Sometimes bugs are complicated, and you'll need to phone a friend. Sites like @StackOverflow and @Rbloggers are great for solving code issues, but be sure to ask questions in a targeted way.
If you can, answer others' questions, too!
RULE 8: Join the R community
One of our favorite things about R is the people who use it!
Join an @RLadiesGlobal or #Rusers group in your area, or join the community virtually through @R4DScommunity & Twitter.
See chapters here:
rladies.org
meetup.com/pro/r-user-gro…
RULE 9: Read others' code, and share yours 🧑💻👩💻
Look to code-sharing activities like #TidyTuesday, the RStudio #Shiny contest, or code in published literature to learn how experienced coders organize their scripts.
When you are ready, pay it forward by sharing your code, too!
RULE 10: Dont box yourself in 📦📦
#RStats is an amazing tool, but it doesn't have to be the end of your coding journey!
Remember that the skills you gain from learning R may open doors for you to other programs or languages in the future.
#RStats #Python #JuliaLang
While not comprehensive, we hope this list can be useful to new R-users trying to see a clear path ahead.
Learning R is a very individual process, and at the end of the day, the best strategies to use are the ones that work for you!
Thanks to my coauthors @francisbanv, @norma_forero, @hebert_kat, Juan-Andrés Martínez-Lanfranco, Pierre Rogy, and @polesasunder, and the @_bios2 community for discussions on the topic.
And of course thanks to the #RStats community for motivating us and others to keep coding! 🧑💻
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