Introduction to Linear Regression Analysis, 5th Edition

APPENDIX E

INTRODUCTION TO R TO PERFORM LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS

R is a popular statistical software package, primarily because it is freely available at www.r-project.org. As a result, many instructors as well as many of the more sophisticated statistical practitioners are switching to it. We have found that using R makes sense with graduate students who are already familiar with statistical methodology, especially those students with some experience using more sophisticated statistical software packages such as SAS. We personally recommend using less sophisticated and fully supported statistical software packages such as Minitab and SAS-JMP for undergraduates and those new to formal statistical analysis. However, we realize that some instructors prefer to use R even for these less sophisticated students. As a result, we created this appendix to introduce some of the basics of R.

E.1 Basic Background on R

According to the project's webpage:

1. The R Foundation is a not-for-profit organization working in the public interest. It has been founded by the members of the R Development Core Team in order to
   • Provide support for the R project and other innovations in statistical computing. We believe that R has become a mature and valuable tool and we would like to ensure its continued development and the development of future innovations in software for statistical and computational research.
   • Provide a reference point for individuals, instititutions or commercial enterprises that want ...