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STAT462 Lab Book 2024

Lab 1

0.2 Aim

Welcome to your first lab. This is worth 10% (100 points) and you can drop your lowest lab out of six. We have three main learning objectives.

  • To allow you to practice the statistical concepts from the course

  • To use real-world data-sets

  • To be comfortable conducting analysis in R and writing up your reports professionally.

With this in mind, your first lab will be getting used to the R-Markdown format and the course structure. This is a ONE WEEK LAB. You only have one lab session (today) working on this during class, then 10 days to finish up and write up. The maximum time it should take is about 4-5 hrs of your time. If you are really stuck, ask for help.


Instructions


If you skipped homework 1..

  • [1] Read more about R, R-Studio and R-Markdown: What are R and R-Studio

  • [2] Either install R and R-Studio on your own computer OR make an account at posit cloud. You should be running R version “4.3.2 Eye Holes” (look at the top of the console), and R-Studio version 2023.12.0.


Projects & Templates

  • [3] It is likely that past R users did not have to use projects, but they are WONDERFUL.

    • Go here to read more about projects. Follow the tutorial instructions to make a project for Lab 1 (instructions available for both desktop and posit-cloud): Projects

  • [4] I have provided a template for your lab 1 report.

    • Go to the Canvas assignment page and, download Lab1_Template.RmD,

    • RENAME IT TO Lab1_Email_ID.RmD (e.g. for me, Lab1_hlg5155.RmD)

    • and place in your project folder on your computer. On Posit cloud, open your project, then look for the upload button in the Files tab.

    • Ignore it for now.


Libraries

  • [5] Most of the code/commands we will use is stored inside packages. Go and read Libraries

  • [6] If you haven’t already, open your R-Project. Now go to the ‘install/app store’ and install these three packages:

    • rmdformats

    • tidyverse

    • ggstatsplot

  • Note - I ‘load’ them for you in the lab template. Look for the library command.


R-Markdown

  • [7] Read through the tutorial about R Markdown. Markdown Tutorial

  • [8] Open your RmD report file (click on its name in the files tab, as long as you are running your project). Click visual mode and see if you can identify the code chunks, space for text and yaml files.

  • [9] Click knit. This should work and create a html file. IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS ASK FOR HELP (as long as you have first installed rmdformats)

  • [10] In the space assigned, answer these questions

    • QUESTION 1: Using a bullet point list (hint visual mode, formatting at the top), state three advantages of using R projects (hint 2, video in the project tutorial)

    • QUESTION 2: Using the example of phone apps (or any other example), explain what R packages are and the difference between installing them and loading them. State what command is used to load packages ready for use? Finally, state whether you can load packages when you are not connected to the internet (hint, think about your phone).

    • QUESTION 3: Make a new heading called favorite photo in the question 3 slot, then change its format to ‘heading 3’. Inside insert a photo/picture of your choice and underneath explain why you chose it.

    • QUESTION 4: Go to the canvas course page and look at the course expectations document (in modules at the top). Summarise IN YOUR OWN WORDS what assignments are expected for this course.

    • QUESTION 5: Go to the lab FAQ page. https://psu-spatial.github.io/Stat462-2024/FAQ.html Explain IN YOUR OWN WORDS, what the policy is surrounding ChatGPT.

Press knit and check it still works.


R-Coding

The following questions link to your homework and datacamp. For those who have programmed in R, they are trivial, but use it to get used to the markdown format.

In the space for Question 6, make a new code chunk. (either a single one or mulitple is fine). Answer the following questions using R.

You get the first one for free :)

  1. Calculate the sum of 1+1 and assign it to the variable ‘a’ (e.g. a <- 1+1)
a <- 1+1

  1. Calculate the sum of 1+3 and assign it to the variable ‘b’

  2. Calculate your age to the power 4 and assign it to a variable called yourname (e.g. mine would be helen <- ..)

  3. Calculate the sum of a/b and assign it to the variable ans

  4. Calculate the number of characters in the word “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch” using the nchar commannd (hint https://www.educative.io/answers/how-to-calculate-the-size-of-a-string-using-nchar-in-r, hint 2 QUOTES)


Above and beyond

There are only 3 marks for this! So it’s a space to stretch yourself and show off. Set a timer for 20mins and see how far you get.

Load the starwars dataset by creating a code chunk with this command.

# THIS WILL ONLY RUN IF YOU FIRST RUN THAT LIBRARY CODE CHUNK AT THE TOP
data(starwars)

See how much you can find out about this dataset using R. Hints, you could use the summary command, you can select individual columns using $ e.g. starwars$name gets the data command, you can use the table command on categories, or any plots you wish.

You get the three marks for a reasonable attempt, and if nothing works, for writing what you tried and what happened.


0.3 What do I submit?

Press knit one final time.

You will have created two files; a .Rmd file containing your code and a .html file for viewing your finished document. You need to submit BOTH of these files on the relevant Canvas assignment page. You can also add comments to your submission as needed on the canvas page, or you can message Dr G.

To download them on posit cloud, click on the check box by the RmD and html, then click on the little blue cog on the far right of the Files tab (you might need to maximise the window), then press export.