Our guide on how we create data visualisations through R.
The first session offers an introduction to the ggplot2 package and a practical demonstration of the package. It focuses on topics such as:
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Ggplot2 syntax
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Basic plots with ggplot2
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Deeper customisation of plots, including labels, colour maps, and re-sizing/re-positioning legends
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Exporting plots
The second session focusses on some principles for using data visualisation in research. A more freeform practical exercise with example data is then offered, and attendees can attempt to replicate and improve visualisations. This covers processes that include:
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Different types of plots and when and where each might be best used
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The pitfalls of misleading data visualisation
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Introduction to some more advanced visualisation possibilities
The third session will cover the visualisation of textual data. Researchers often wish to work with unstructured text data, often collected from archives and the internet. We will discuss effective visualisation of this data, including:
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Different types of plots and their areas of application
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Plot design, common pitfalls, and what makes text data visualisation effective
The course will ultimately help to develop a foundational understanding of Visualisation in R. Crucially, this will foster a familiarity with the principles of data visualisation and the capabilities of the software, allowing attendees to confidently apply these, or indeed seek out new concepts for their current and future research.
The following pacakges will need installing for this workshop:
- tidyverse
- jtools
- psych
- palmerpenguins
- gt
Useful reading: A layered grammar of graphics - Hadley Wickham https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1198/jcgs.2009.07098?needAccess=true
Useful guides: https://www.cedricscherer.com/