Free online course: Using R to manage, analyse and visualise your data

How to get started in the statistics program R? In our free online course, you will learn to manage, analyse, and visualise your environmental data. The aim of this workshop developed by Landau researcher Jakob Wolfram is to teach environmental scientists the basics in R, so that they can further their career or studies.

The open-source program R, which is free to use for everyone, has become the statistics program of choice for most environmental scientists. Its immense, community-developed library of statistical tests, data management suites, and visualization options, has made it into a central tool for every ecotoxicologist out there. However, getting started in R ranges from being moderately annoying to feeling impossible, if there is a lack of understanding about how R works.

Jakob is convinced that after a basic introduction and explanation of the principles underlying R, many students will see their troubles turn into joy. Therefore, he developed a course that gets you started, teaches you the basics in R, how to handle and analyse your data, until you gain a skill set that allows you to expand your level of expertise on your own.

Taking a closer look at current environmental trends in R (photo by J. Wolfram)

The course is currently being held for the first time, therefore only students from the University of Koblenz-Landau are allowed to partake, so that additional feedback can be gathered and used to improve the lecture materials for a broader audience. Please note that all students of the M.Sc. Ecotoxicology in Landau will hear this lecture in the ETX6 module.

The course offers:

  • 18 hours of video material on YouTube
  • 300+ slides
  • Practical and theoretical exercises with recorded solutions
  • 2 large-scale environmental datasets with numerous research questions to test your skills
  • A moderate tempo so that no one will feel overwhelmed

If you are interested in trying out this lecture, then send Jakob an email stating your:

  • Name
  • Affiliation / current semester of enrollment
  • Study program (e.g., M.Sc. Ecotoxicology)
  • Motivation statement explaining why you want to take this course (max. 2 sentences)

We hope to hear from you!

The workshop was developed by Jakob Wolfram as member of the MAGIC research team from the University of Koblenz-Landau. The MAGIC research team focuses on Meta-Analyses of Global Impacts of Chemicals.