R and R Studio
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REVISION IN PROGRESS: This article contains useful information, but is being revised to reflect recent updates. Direct questions to TLT (tlt@winona.edu). |
R and R Studio are free software applications for statistical computing and graphics. R includes the code required to conduct statistical analyses and visualize data. R Studio is a companion application, called an integrated development environment (IDE), that makes it easier to use R. Both run on Windows and MacOS.
Why R Studio?
Although you can use R directly, R Studio organizes and streamlines many R features and functions, reducing your workload and making it easier to navigate and manage R projects. R Studio is currently the most common IDE for R.
Install R
- Browse to https://www.r-project.org
- User Getting Started, select Downoad R (Fig 1)
- Select the link under 0-Cloud to download R from the server nearest you
- Select either the Mac or PC version of R to begin downloading the installer file. What happens next will differ slightly depending on whether you are installing R on a Mac or PC.
Mac
Select the Latest Release package (.pkg) file. Save it to your Mac and then select the package file to begin the installation process. Install the application as usual.
PC
Select the Install R for the first time link to download the installer file. Save the file on your PC and then double-click it to begin the installation process. Install the application as usual.
Install R Studio
- Browse to https://rstudio.com
- Select RStudio from the Products menu
- Select RStudio Desktop
- Select Download RStudio Desktop
- Select Download
- Select Download R Studio for Mac