Syllabus

I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus

About this course

This course focuses on how to use the computer (and statistical software) to conduct a statistical analysis of data. The goal of this course is to introduce you to a variety of programs and technologies that are useful for acquiring, cleaning, manipulating, organizing, exploring, visualizing, and analyzing data, as well as reporting findings.

Overview of Course: We’ll begin with an overview of the R language, which you will use extensively throughout this course. Then we’ll move on to other useful tools, including working with regular expressions, basic UNIX tools, XML, and SQL. Because this course is so computer­ oriented, it’s very important that you take the time outside of class to learn by doing—to explore the software we’ll be talking about in class, and to try out your skills on real datasets in the homework assignments and individual project.

Resources

There is no required textbook. Instead, there are various resources that you can check (see list below). I will also point out other appropriate resources during the course.

• Data Manipulation
  • Stat 133 Class Notes ​(by Phil Spector): http://www.stat.berkeley
  • Data Manipulation with R (by Phil Spector): ​http://www.springer.com/us/book/9780387747309
  • Hands-On Programming with R (by Garret Grolemund)
• Graphics and Data Visualization
  • ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis (by Hadley Wickham)
  • R Graphics Cookbook (by Winston Chang)
  • R Graphics (by Paul Murrell)
  • Data Points: Visualization That Means Something (by Nathan Yau)
  • Now You See It: Simple Visualization Techniques for Quantitative Analysis (by Stephen Few)
• Data Technologies
  • Introduction to Data Technologies​ (by Paul Murrell): https://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~paul/ItDT/
  • XML and Data Technologies for Data Sciences with R (by Deb Nolan and Duncan Temple Lang)
  • Data Science in R (by Deb Nolan and Duncan Temple Lang)
• UNIX and Bash shell
  • Learn Enough Command Line to Be Dangerous (by Michael Hartl) https://www.learnenough.com/command-line-tutorial
  • The Linux Command Line (by William Shotts) http://linuxcommand.org/tlcl.php

Please make sure you can access the online and free resources above remotely.

Grading Structure

• 15% quizzes
• 10% lab
• 20% homework
• 10% midterm project
• 25% final project
• 20% final test

Pop Quiz policy

• There will be (between 4 and 5) written pop quizzes during lab
• I will drop the lowest quiz score
• No makeup quizzes (no exceptions)

Homework Policy

The grading scheme for HW assignment is:

• 0 = no credit (i.e. no submission)
• 1 = partial credit (you did some or even most of the problems but not all)
• 2 = satisfactory (you tried everything but there were pieces of what you did that didn’t solve one or more problems in a complete way
• 3 = full credit

Submission of assignments:

• Please submit your .Rmd file and your knitted file (html or pdf) to bCourses.
• If you have trouble generating (knitting) the pdf, then knit your Rmd file as html and then export it as pdf.
• In addition to submitting your files, please print a physical copy of the knitted document and turn it in to the GSI during lab.
• The physical copy is the actual work that will be graded!
• The electronic html/pdf file is just for reference and comparison purposes in case something does not get printed or does not get rendered apropriately in the physical copy.
• No late submissions will be accepted. Changes to this policy are possible only by prior arrangement with the instructor in person.

Project Policy

• There will be two projects: one midterm and one final
• If you fail to submit one project, you will fail the course
• I will give you a list of project requirements
• Meeting all requirements gives you a B (90% of the project), but does not guarantee an A
• We are expecting that you add value and personal touch to each project

Attendance Policy

• You are expected to attend all lab discussions.
• In order to get the 10% of lab attendance, you must attend at least 10 labs.
• Cell phones are to be turned off during lectures and labs.
• Any cell phone activity will cause you to lose participation points.

Incomplete Policy

Under emergency/special circumstances, students may petition me to receive an incomplete grade. Please clearly state your reasoning in your comments to me.

Email Policy

• You should only use email as a tool to set up a one-on-one meeting with me if Office hours conflict with your schedule.
• Use the subject line Meeting Request.
• Your message should include at least two times when you would like to meet and a brief (one-two sentence) description of the reason for the meeting.
• Email sent for any other reason will NOT be considered or acknowledge.
• Do NOT expect me to reply right away (I may not reply on time).
• If you have an emergency, talk to me later during class or office hours.
• I strongly encourage you to ask questions about the syllabus, covered material, and assignments during class time or lab discussions.
• Our conversations should take place in person rather than via email, thus allowing us to get to know each other better and fostering a more collegial learning atmosphere.

Academic Honest Policy

Homework and projects must be done independently. You may discuss the HW with other students, but you must independently write your code and solutions. For example, suggesting a function to another student is acceptable, whereas simply giving him or her your own code is not. If you are not clear about the expectations for completing an assignment or taking an exam, be sure to seek clarification from the instructor or GSI beforehand.

For exams, cheating includes, but is not limited to, bringing written or electronic materials into an exam or quiz, using written or electronic materials during an exam or quiz, copying off another person’s exam or quiz, allowing someone to copy off of your exam or quiz, and having someone take an exam or quiz for you. Any evidence of cheating will result in a minimum penalty of a score of zero (0) on the assignment or examination. Depending on the severity of the infraction, cheating may result in an F for the course grade.

Statement on Accommodation

If you need accommodations for any physical, psychological, or learning disability, or if you want me to have emergency medical information, please speak to me privately, either after class or during my office hours.

If you need accommodations for any physical, psychological, or learning disability, please speak to me after class or during office hours. Please make arrangements in a timely manner (through DSP) so that we can work out acceptable accommodations.

If there are any conflicts with the due dates of the exams or assignments for religious reasons, travel for campus sponsored extracurricular activities, medical and graduate school interviews, or for other reasons, please contact me.

Safe, Supportive, and Inclusive Environment

Whenever a faculty member, staff member, post-doc, or GSI is responsible for the supervision of a student, a personal relationship between them of a romantic or sexual nature, even if consensual, is against university policy. Any such relationship jeopardizes the integrity of the educational process.

Although faculty and staff can act as excellent resources for students, you should be aware that they are required to report any violations of this campus policy. If you wish to have a confidential discussion on matters related to this policy, you may contact the Confidential Care Advocates on campus for support related to counseling or sensitive issues. Appointments can be made by calling (510) 642-1988.

The classroom, lab, and work place should be safe and inclusive environments for everyone. The Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) is responsible for ensuring the University provides an environment for faculty, staff and students that is free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of categories including race, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Questions or concerns? Call (510) 643-7985, email ask_ophd@berkeley.edu, or go to http://survivorsupport.berkeley.edu.