Getting Started with R for Economists
Author: Priyanga Dilini Talagala
Preface
R is a free and powerful software environment for statistical computing and data visualization. It is widely used in academia and industry for data analysis and research. As one of the top programming languages for data science, R provides a variety of tools for statistical modeling, computing, and visualization.
Since empirical research is essential in economics, programming skills are crucial for conducting real-world data analysis. This textbook will introduce you to R and help you develop fundamental data science skills.
About This Book
This textbook is designed for beginners, providing a strong foundation in R for economic research. It focuses on the tidyverse ecosystem, a collection of R packages that provide a simple yet powerful approach to data analysis. You will learn how to use tidy tools to manage and analyze data efficiently, covering the entire lifecycle of a data science project.
Who Can Benefit from This Book
I wrote this textbook for two groups of readers. The first group is the participants of the workshop Getting Started with R for Economists: A Hands-On Workshop, which was organized for the 52nd Meeting of the Sri Lanka Forum of University Economists. This book serves as a companion to that workshop. Since the workshop lasts only one hour, the goal is to introduce participants to the tidyverse workflow and give them a strong foundation so they can continue learning on their own.
The second group is any economist who is new to programming and wants to start analyzing data using R. This book is a good starting point for your journey. However, to master each topic fully, I recommend reading more advanced textbooks on R, covering the different areas discussed here.