R and RStudio Resources
Getting Help
- Crowd-sourced R functions
- Interactive RStudio tutorials (R basics, data viz, and more)
- Markdown (Quarto) basics, and Quarto/RStudio tutorial
- RStudio cheatsheets
- Google it! If you have a question about R, someone else probably asked it. Add “R tidyverse” to your search term.
Example: scatterplot R tidyverse - Note about ChatGPT for code: Please avoid using ChatGPT as a first resort for R code. It often suggests overly wordy or unfamiliar approaches. Our goal is for you to understand the code you write; sticking to tools and syntax we use in class will support your learning best.
Getting Started
The videos below introduce R and RStudio and show how to install them on your computer. Start with the overview, then watch the step-by-step video for your operating system.
Download links (mentioned in the videos): - R: http://cran.r-project.org/ - RStudio: https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/#download
Version numbers in the videos are out-of-date. Please download the latest versions of both R and RStudio. As of August 25, 2025, the latest versions are: R 4.5.1 and RStudio 2025.05.1+513.
Installation / Overview
- Installing R and RStudio (Overview) (Length: 4:30)
Pick one of the following: - Mac — Installing R and RStudio Step-by-Step (Length: 3:24) - Windows — Installing R and RStudio Step-by-Step (Length: 5:43)
If you run into installation issues, contact me right away. If we can’t get RStudio working locally, you can use Macalester’s online RStudio server:
Quick intro video
Intro Videos to R (watch in order)
- Intro to R and RStudio (11:31)
- R Data Types (8:05)
- R Error Messages and Troubleshooting (Optional) (7:52)
- Intro to RMarkdown / Quarto (9:33)
- File Structure & Organization (Optional)
- Tips on File Naming & Organization (Optional)
- R Packages (7:30)
You can adjust video speed and pause as needed. If anything doesn’t work, please let me know so we can fix it quickly.