Projects
This section contains two types of work: problem sets and the data project.
Problem sets
Problem sets are structured exercises that build your skills in data visualisation, wrangling, and statistical modelling using real datasets. They draw on material from ModernDive: Statistical Inference via Data Science.
How to complete a problem set
Each problem set comes as a zipped folder containing an R Markdown (.Rmd) file. R Markdown is an older but widely used format for combining R code and text — you will encounter it frequently in the wild.
You can choose to complete the problem set with either the R Markdown (.Rmd) file file or the Quarto Markdown (.qmd) file - or both! That way you can learn the differences between the Knit and Render functions
To complete a problem set:
- Download the zip file and unzip it on your computer
- Open the
.Rmd(or.qmd) file in RStudio by double-clicking it (or File > Open File) - Read through the document, write your code in the code chunks, and type your answers in the text sections
- When you are done, click the Knit button (or Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + K) to produce an HTML file
- Submit the knitted HTML file on Moodle
The problem set files use R Markdown (.Rmd), while the rest of this course uses Quarto (.qmd). They are very similar — the main difference is the Knit button in Rmd vs. the Render button in Quarto. Both produce the same kinds of output. Learning both is useful, as R Markdown is still widely used in research and industry.
| Problem set | Topic | Download |
|---|---|---|
| PS02 | Data Visualisation | PS02-template.zip |
| PS03 | Data Wrangling | PS03-template.zip |
| PS04 | Linear Regression: One Numerical Predictor | PS04-template.zip |
| PS05 | Linear Regression: One Categorical Predictor | PS05-template.zip |
| PS06 | Multiple Regression | PS06-template.zip |
Data project
The data project is the main assessment for this course — there is no final exam. Working independently, you will find a real dataset, explore it using the tools you have learned, and write up your findings as a fully reproducible Quarto document.
See the Final Project page for full guidelines, the assessment rubric, and the project template.