The R Book

A start-to-finish guide to one of the most useful programming languages for researchers in a variety of fields

In the newly revised Third Edition of The R Book, a team of distinguished teachers and researchers delivers a user-friendly and comprehensive discussion of foundational and advanced topics in the R software language, which is used widely in science, engineering, medicine, economics, and other fields. The book is designed to be used as both a complete text—readable from cover to cover—and as a reference manual for practitioners seeking authoritative guidance on particular topics.

This latest edition offers instruction on the use of the RStudio GUI, an easy-to-use environment for those new to R. It provides readers with a complete walkthrough of the R language, beginning at a point that assumes no prior knowledge of R and very little previous knowledge of statistics. Readers will also find:

• A thorough introduction to fundamental concepts in statistics and step-by-step roadmaps to their implementation in R;
• Comprehensive explorations of worked examples in R;
• A complementary companion website with downloadable datasets that are used in the book;
• In-depth examination of essential R packages.

Perfect for undergraduate and postgraduate students of science, engineering, medicine economics, and geography, The R Book will also earn a place in the libraries of social sciences professionals.

Elinor Jones, PhD, is an Associate Professor (Teaching) in the Department of Statistical Science at University College London. She is an experienced teacher with a background in statistics consultancy in a range of fields.

Simon Harden, PhD, is an Associate Professor (Teaching) in the Department of Statistical Science at University College London. He has taught R and statistics to people with a wide range of backgrounds, and has experience working in finance and IT.

Michael J Crawley FRS is Emeritus Professor of Plant Ecology at Imperial College London.