If you want to learn to use R for data analysis but aren’t sure how to get started, this practical book will help you find the right path through your data.

Drawing on real-world data to show you how to use different techniques in practice, it helps you progress your programming and statistics knowledge so you can apply the most appropriate tools in your research.

It starts with descriptive statistics and moves through regression to advanced techniques such as structural equation modelling and Bayesian statistics, all with digestible mathematical detail for beginner researchers.

The book:

• Shows you how to use R packages and apply functions, adjusting them to suit different datasets.
• Gives you the tools to try new statistical techniques and empowers you to become confident using them.
• Encourages you to learn by doing when running and adapting the authors’ own code.
• Equips you with solutions to overcome the potential challenges of working with real data that may be messy or imperfect.

This book is the best I’ve seen for R, both in its clarity and coverage of topics. Practically oriented, with a profusion of examples and an engaging narrative, it is a must-have for all those studying applied social sciences. -- Sergio Venturini

Mehmet Mehmetoglu is a Professor of Research Methods in the Department of Psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). His research interests include consumer psychology, evolutionary psychology and statistical methods. Mehmetoglu has co/publications in about 35 different refereed international journals, among which include Personality and Individual Differences, Evolutionary Psychology and the Journal of Statistical Software.  Matthias Mittner is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Head of the Research Group for Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at UiT - The Arctic University of Norway. His research interests include neuroscience, cognitive psychology and statistical methods. He is the author of several R and Python packages in the field of neuroscience.