Hi, I'm Luka
I help ecologists
Learn to use R
With the best online courses
It doesn’t need to take years and expensive university courses to feel comfortable working with R. I create courses based on what I wish I had when I started as a grad student in ecology, and I am excited to share them with any ecologist or biologist ready to use this powerful tool. Don't let the R learning curve stand in the way of doing good science. Learning R can be faster, more fun, and easier than you thought. Let me show you how.
Get started with R and master the essentials through my foundational course
This is the course I wish I had when I started as a graduate student in ecology. I've carefully selected the key topics and functions that will help you master the basics and quickly get over the learning curve with confidence, even if you are a complete beginner.
Watch this video to learn more:
About this course
By the end of the course you will be able to confidently:
- Install R and RStudio
- Use RStudio like a pro
- Upload your data into R
- Clean and prepare data for plotting and analysis
- Explore your data by adding new variables, combining datasets and modifying existing variables
- Plot your data using scatterplots, line graphs, and boxplots
- Manage and organize entire projects with R and RStudio
- Learn the best practices for writing clear and reproducible code in R
In summary, this course is a shortcut to learning R quickly but effectively. Though most content is designed and presented from my own perspective as an ecologist, all course content is also applicable to most related fields.
What this course does not cover:
To cover the basics of R in an effective way, I cannot cover everything. So this course does not cover:
- Data analysis or modeling
- GIS or spatial visualization
- Advanced topics in visualization such as using ggplot2
I believe that these topics are relatively easy to branch into once your foundation with the basics is in place and I plan to expand into these and other topics in future courses.
Join more than 1000 other students...
A few comments from an anonymous survey about this course:
"The way this course is organized lets me feel good about learning it. Everything is extremely well explained and helpful. I couldn't be happier"
"I am very happy. I find the explanations clear, the pace of the course is appropriate, and the way the instructor goes topic by topic is very understandable."
"I started with no knowledge about R, and now I feel like an expert on it :-). thank you."
"I like that it can be done at our own pace and that you walk us through the example problems."
"I liked many things till here. First, it starts from the very basics of R. Second, it is detailed and use of every command is explained well. Third, it is self paced, thus user friendly."
"Thorough explanations - the instructor never takes it for granted that we will know even the simplest steps, always explains in detail :)"
"I like that it starts from the ground up, so that no individual concept feels too complex, or out of reach. It helps get the learner over that wall of entry. I also like how the tools are introduced in a way that becomes applicable to personal data."
"Luka is perfect for teaching a course on R for budding ecologists—he has a strong theoretical background in ecology, numerous experiences in field- and greenhouse-based studies, a knack for data analyses, and a life-long passion to teach.
I highly recommend The Basics of R for Ecologists to undergraduate and graduate students involved in ecological research."
- Dr. Nishanta Rajakaruna, Associate Professor in Plant Biology, CalPoly State University
About me...
Luka Negoita, PhD
I believe the fundamental beauty of the natural world comes from understanding the stories behind the patterns we see.
I received my PhD in Biology from Syracuse University in 2018 where I specialized in analyzing ecological data using R. I also love teaching and have mentored countless students and scientists in everything from experimental design to using R for creating figures for their publication. Have messy data? Let me help you clean it. Have some numbers? Let me help you tell your story.
Along with the academic skills and hacks I've learned along the way, I present these courses as my way of helping the next generation of grad students in ecology.
Course Curriculum
- Basics of variables and vectors (9:24)
- Creating and indexing vectors (14:43)
- Vectors: naming, modifying, and more indexing (11:11)
- Other useful functions for vectors (11:37)
- Custom functions and getting help (6:27)
- Indexing dataframes (25:09)
- Modifying dataframes (11:09)
- Vector and Dataframe EXERCISES (5:26)
- Vector and Dataframe EXERCISE SOLUTIONS (17:26)
- Joining dataframes (10:20)
- Recoding data and other useful functions (19:36)
- Reshaping data with the pivot functions (21:23)
- Implicitly missing data (12:57)
- The species-by-site matrix (17:22)
- Advanced Data Wrangling EXERCISES (8:16)
- Advanced Data Wrangling EXERCISE SOLUTIONS (21:30)
- Bonus lesson: Parsing dates and date math (28:54)
- Bonus lesson: plotting figures with dates (18:10)
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course start and finish?
The course is a completely self-paced online course, so you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own!
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
Can I get a certificate for completing this course?
Yes, absolutely! Everyone that completes this course will receive an official certificate of completion.
What if I'm not an ecologist? Is the course still relevant?
Yes! Though the course is based on my own experiences of using R for ecology, all of the course content will be applicable and relevant for most other fields in biology if not many fields even outside the sciences. The course also uses ecological datasets, but the principles are mostly universal.
Does it matter if I use a Mac or PC?
Nope! Although the course is taught using a Mac, the content and features in R and R Studio are universal between the two operating systems and I mention anytime there is a difference between the two.
But what if I don't know anything about R or statistics?
That's fine! This course is designed as the first step for anyone interested in learning how to use R and the course content does not assume any prerequisites.
Are the courses captioned?
Yes! All videos are captioned with english subtitles that meet accessibility standards.
What if I really cannot afford this course?
Our mission is to make this course as accessible as possible to every student that wants to take it. I’ve created a scholarship program where you can submit a short application to receive the help you need for this course. The scholarship program will open again soon.
