The course, found at the website https://r-cubed-intro.rostools.org/, is designed as a series of participatory live-coding lessons, where the instructor and learner code together, along with hands-on exercises interspersed throughout the course and a final group assignment to do a simple data analysis project. In the course we will:

1. Explain what an open and reproducible data analysis workflow is, what it looks like, and why it is important.
2. Explain and demonstrate why R is rapidly becoming the standard program of choice for doing modern data analysis in science.
3. Demonstrate and apply collaborative tools and techniques when working in team settings (including working with your future self).
4. Show and apply the fundamental tools and skills for conducting a reproducible and modern analysis for a research project.
5. Show where to go to get help and to continue learning modern data analysis skills.

We’ll be addressing the following questions:

• What is R, why should I use it, and how do I use it?
• What does a modern data analysis setup and workflow look like?
• What is reproducibility and how is it different from replicability?
• How can I ensure my data analysis project is reproducible?
• How can I import and work with my data in R?
• How can I visualize my data and make publication-quality figures?
• Why should I and how can I keep track of changes to my analysis files?
• How can I write reports to document, describe, and present analyses in a reproducible way?

Instructors

• Luke Johnston, Team Leader, Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus (DK)
• Anders Askeland, PhD Student, Aalborg University Hospital (DK)

To participate in the course, you will have to be a PhD Student or Postdoc working in the fields of diabetes, metabolism or classical endocrinology. Priority is given to participants employed at Danish research and health institutions or in the life science industry.

To help manage expectations and develop the material for this course, we make a few assumptions about who you are as a participant in the course:

• You currently or will soon do some quantitative data analysis.
• You:
  • know nothing or little about R (or computing in general);
  • haven’t used code-based programs for doing data analysis (e.g. have used SPSS);
  • have used coding programs before (e.g. used SAS or Stata), but not R;
  • or know how to use R, but haven’t used the tidyverse or RStudio.

While we have these assumptions to help focus the content of the course, if you have an interest in learning R but don’t fit any of the above assumptions, you are still welcome to attend the course! We welcome everyone, that is until the course capacity is reached.

In addition to the assumptions, we also have a fairly focused scope for teaching and expectations for learning. So this may also help you decide if this course is for you.

• We do teach how to use R, starting from the very basics and targeted to beginners.
• We do not teach statistics (these are already covered by most university curriculums).
• We do teach from a team science, reproducible research, and open scientific perspective (i.e. by including a collaborative group project that uses a transparent and reproducible analysis workflow).
• We do teach using practical, applied, and hands-on lessons and exercises, with a few short lectures that introduce a topic.

Please note, that you are not guaranteed a seat if you do not meet the target group requirements. If the event is overbooked, the DDEA reserves its right to reject participants based on the defined requirements and country of employment.

Pre-workshop instructions

To attend the course, you will have to complete the pre-course tasks no later than 14 January 2024.
You find the pre-course tasks here: https://r-cubed-intro.rostools.org/preamble/pre-course.html

Bring your own laptop

Make sure to bring your own laptop, since the course includes hands-on learning.

Dinner registration

The DDEA organizes a networking dinner on 23 and 24 January. Participation in the dinner is free of charge. Please sign up for the dinners upon registration, and indicate whether you have any dietary requirements.

Accommodation 22 January

The DDEA offers accommodation for participants living outside the Copenhagen area 22 January. Please state, if you need accomodation on 22 January when you register.

Accommodation 23-25 January

The DDEA offers accommodation for participants living outside the Copenhagen area 23-25 January. Please state, if you need accomodation on 23-25 January when you register.

Certification

A course certificate will be sent to all participants upon request at the end of the course. Full participation is required to attain 2,8 ECTS points.

Latest cancellation date & no-show fee

Please note that it is free of charge to participate in the event however the DDEA will charge a no-show fee of 1000 DKK if you do not show up and have not unregistered from the event by 16 January 2024, except in the case of illness or emergencies.