Introduction

How to Use this Document

This tutorial introduces researchers to R for Windows. Although this tutorial is written specifically for users running Windows, much of the material also applies to R running on the Mac and Linux operating systems. We assume knowledge of basic statistical concepts but no prior experience with R.  We recommend several resources for more advanced users of R at the end of this document.

What is R?

R is an open source statistical program, which can be used as a matrix-based programming language or as a standard statistical package. The main features of R include powerful data analysis and graphical tools, manipulation of matrices, and data handling and storage. R is an implementation of the S programming language, which is used in the commercial package S-Plus.

How do I download R?

R is available free of charge through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN). Please consult the GNU General Public License of the Free Software Foundation for the terms of usage. Download the executable file from one of the CRAN mirrors, and R will install itself. For detailed instructions on installing and troubleshooting R for Windows, consult the CRAN webpage