search

nicercode / advanced_R_workshop

Collecting ideas for a workshop/symposium on advanced R topics
0 stars 0 forks source link

Possible topics for advanced R workshop #1

Closed dfalster closed 10 years ago

dfalster commented 10 years ago

Hi @richfitz @dbarneche @enterthesloth @koadman @KerensaMcElroy @roblanf @wcornwell @kunstler @RemkoDuursma @timchurches @cerebis @ekfchan,

I am exploring the idea of a symposium or workshop for more experienced users of R in Sydney area. Here is an initial list of possible topics. Any further topics that might be of interest? reply to this email.

Another idea was to try and get Hadley Wickham out to Sydney for an intensive.

roblanf commented 10 years ago

Hi All

Sounds good to me. How about including test-driven development with test_that (perhaps that doesn't count as advanced)? In my (very limited) experience test driven development is really the only way to make sure that enough tests get written.

Also, any chance we can include Dan Warren (https://github.com/danlwarren) on this: he's moving up to MQ soon on a DECRA.

Cheers,

Rob

On 19 February 2014 10:17, Daniel Falster notifications@github.com wrote:

Hi @richfitz https://github.com/richfitz @dbarnechehttps://github.com/dbarneche @enterthesloth https://github.com/enterthesloth @koadmanhttps://github.com/koadman @KerensaMcElroy https://github.com/KerensaMcElroy @roblanfhttps://github.com/roblanf @wcornwell https://github.com/wcornwell @kunstlerhttps://github.com/kunstler @RemkoDuursma https://github.com/RemkoDuursma @timchurcheshttps://github.com/timchurches @cerebis https://github.com/cerebis @ekfchanhttps://github.com/ekfchan ,

I am exploring the idea of a symposium or workshop for more experienced users of R in Sydney area. Here is an initial list of possible topics. Any further topics that might be of interest? reply to this email.

  • package creation
  • scraping webpages
  • linking to C++ code with Rcpp
  • handling big data
  • functional programming
  • advanced plyr, dplyr
  • testing and continuous integration
  • using make to automate analysis workflows
  • analysing sequence data
  • sql databases
  • sanitisting and testing data
  • deploying jobs on clusters, high-performance computers

Another idea was to try and get Hadley Wickham out to Sydney for an intensive.

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/issues/1 .

Rob Lanfear Research Fellow, Ecology, Evolution, and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University

phone: +61 (0)2 6125 3611

www.robertlanfear.com

wcornwell commented 10 years ago

Great idea! Maybe also something on data visualization as a broad category? I guess the more specific direction within that could depend on the expertise of whoever gets involved.

dfalster commented 10 years ago

Yes, please pass on to anyone who may be interested ( either by listing githgub username, e.g. @jmadin, @danlwarren, or by sending them url to this github issue).

To clarify - I am aiming for a session where participants also contribute by presenting on some topic, not a session where there 1-2 instructors and everyone else listens. So good to involve people who might have something to share.

On 19 February 2014 10:54, Will Cornwell notifications@github.com wrote:

Great idea! Maybe also something on data visualization as a broad category? I guess the more specific direction within that could depend on the expertise of whoever gets involved.

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/issues/1#issuecomment-35450508 .

kunstler commented 10 years ago

Good idea! Maybe something on code performance: diagnosis and optimization could be good as well?

richfitz commented 10 years ago

A topic that if anyone has local experience with I'd like to see: generating interactive graphics with frameworks like d3.js or processing. I think that there's been some progress on this front (e.g. https://github.com/rstudio/ggvis) but knowing where to begin is half the battle.

In return, I'd be happy to present something on C++/Rcpp in particular.

ekfchan commented 10 years ago

Great list of topics! I particularly like the proposed topic on code performance (e.g. compiler, jit, ...). And, of course, visualisation is always a fun topic.

I'd be happy to share personal learnings on plotting and handling big data.

I would highly recommend getting @drmjc involved for his wealth of knowledge on many of these topics.

richfitz commented 10 years ago

Great - the more the merrier.

Perhaps we could collect a list of topics people would like to see and then pair that up with what people are happy to present on. I've put the list of ideas so far up on the repo wiki so perhaps people could indicate what they want to see and could talk about?

If we do this as a one-day intensive, I guess it's going to be show and tell mainly. If we ran a series of meetings we could get more interactive, but I imagine that could get tricky with coordination and timing.

dfalster commented 10 years ago

Good idea Rich. Everyone, please add your name (github username) against any topic you would be happy to present on. Ok to have multiple names against anyone topic.

I like the idea of a one-day symposium, aimed at giving a small taste of something cool others might like to know about.

Possible format: if we have 45 min slots we could cover 8 topics in a day. In each slot you could aim to give a 15min intro and demo from your own work, followed by 15min with another worked example participants can clone off github, then time for discussion and questions?

On 20 February 2014 13:56, Rich FitzJohn notifications@github.com wrote:

Great - the more the merrier.

Perhaps we could collect a list of topics people would like to see and then pair that up with what people are happy to present on. I've put the list of ideas so far up on the repo wikihttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/wiki/Advanced-R-Workshopso perhaps people could indicate what they want to see and could talk about?

If we do this as a one-day intensive, I guess it's going to be show and tell mainly. If we ran a series of meetings we could get more interactive, but I imagine that could get tricky with coordination and timing.

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/issues/1#issuecomment-35581823 .

richfitz commented 10 years ago

cc: @Winawer - how long are you still in Sydney? Interested?

drmjc commented 10 years ago

Hi all, when are you thinking of running the course? I can contribute towards package dev, including roxygen2 & test_that, and some R + HPC

RemkoDuursma commented 10 years ago

Daniel et al.,

excellent idea and I'd be happy to contribute.

remko

Remko Duursma Senior Lecturer

Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond

Office: +61(0)2 4570 1806 Mobile: +61 (0)4 22 096908 www.remkoduursma.com

On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 10:17 AM, Daniel Falster notifications@github.comwrote:

Hi @richfitz https://github.com/richfitz @dbarnechehttps://github.com/dbarneche @enterthesloth https://github.com/enterthesloth @koadmanhttps://github.com/koadman @KerensaMcElroy https://github.com/KerensaMcElroy @roblanfhttps://github.com/roblanf @wcornwell https://github.com/wcornwell @kunstlerhttps://github.com/kunstler @RemkoDuursma https://github.com/RemkoDuursma @timchurcheshttps://github.com/timchurches @cerebis https://github.com/cerebis @ekfchanhttps://github.com/ekfchan ,

I am exploring the idea of a symposium or workshop for more experienced users of R in Sydney area. Here is an initial list of possible topics. Any further topics that might be of interest? reply to this email.

  • package creation
  • scraping webpages
  • linking to C++ code with Rcpp
  • handling big data
  • functional programming
  • advanced plyr, dplyr
  • testing and continuous integration
  • using make to automate analysis workflows
  • analysing sequence data
  • sql databases
  • sanitisting and testing data
  • deploying jobs on clusters, high-performance computers

Another idea was to try and get Hadley Wickham out to Sydney for an intensive.

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/issues/1 .

Winawer commented 10 years ago

I'm leaving in the first or second week of April and probably won't have time to work anything up before then (finishing current projects and such). It sounds like a great idea, though, and on the off-chance that you pull it together before I leave I'd love to drop in.

Minor aside: did you know that there's an R user's group in Sydney? I hung out there a few times and while the saavy of the users varied wildly, there were some pretty sharp people there who might be interested in (and able to contribute to) what you're putting together. (This is the guy who runs it.)

jmadin commented 10 years ago

I'd love to be involved. I'm more of a generalist, and so will need to think about where I could contribute effectively. I've been doing some web app programming recently with Ruby on Rails and interfacing with R that might be of interest. Thanks and great idea.

dfalster commented 10 years ago

OK - I'll assume that by early next week, everyone who is genuinely interested in participating in an advanced R symposium will have indicated this putting their name against some of the topics listed here on the repo wiki.

@wcornwell @roblanf @RemkoDuursma @kunstler - you indicated some interest but are yet to specify topics.

Closing this issue. From here will move forward with those names listed on the wiki.

roblanf commented 10 years ago

Hi All,

Happy to attend and learn, but I am not competent to present anything advanced about R.

Cheers,

Rob

On 11 April 2014 09:27, Daniel Falster notifications@github.com wrote:

OK - I'll assume that by early next week, everyone who is genuinely interested in participating in an advanced R symposium will have indicated this putting their name against some of the topics listed here on the repo wikihttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/wiki/Advanced-R-Workshop .

@wcornwell https://github.com/wcornwell @roblanfhttps://github.com/roblanf @RemkoDuursma https://github.com/RemkoDuursma @kunstlerhttps://github.com/kunstler- you indicated some interest but are yet to specify topics.

Closing this issue. From here will move forward with those names listed on the wikihttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/wiki/Advanced-R-Workshop .

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/issues/1#issuecomment-40154784 .

Rob Lanfear Research Fellow, Ecology, Evolution, and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University

phone: +61 (0)2 6125 3611

www.robertlanfear.com

danlwarren commented 10 years ago

Oh, we have to be competent? I may need to rethink this.

dfalster commented 10 years ago

OK - several people commented on 'competency' and that they don't have anything to teach. I'm sorry if I gave the impression you needed to be an expert to present. You don't. (I am not an expert in anything.) What we want is enthusiasm to share knowledge about something cool you do in R and that other people might be interested in. Several people could even present on the same topic.

We still don't have a format for this thing, but putting names against possible topics is first step in gauging possible interest and topics. To anyone who said they 'are interested' but don't have anything interesting to share - please reconsider. There must be something you have done in R that is slightly out of the ordinary and others might like to know about.

On 14 April 2014 18:19, Dan Warren notifications@github.com wrote:

Oh, we have to be competent? I may need to rethink this.

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/nicercode/advanced_R_workshop/issues/1#issuecomment-40342795 .

richfitz commented 10 years ago

Just to reinforce @dfalster's comment here - I think that a range of competencies would be ideal.

I don't think there is a problem if someone gets up and says "here is how you make a package/do unit testing/whatever" and it's all slick and done. But better would be to also have someone who has been trying the same things for a relatively shorter amount of time. Then we can all see where the stumbling blocks are, and the person presenting will probably learn a bunch.

And @roblanf; if you're not happy to present on R, perhaps a presentation about when R isn't the best tool for the job, and where Python or other languages excel? Just an idea.

danlwarren commented 10 years ago

I was actually joking, sorry if that wasn't clear!

I'm perfectly happy to present whatever is needed that I'm capable of. I would like a bit of clarity on what's meant by "functional programming" if that's what I'm to do, though - are we just talking about a basic intro to writing R functions, or a more theoretical intro to functional programming? I can definitely do the former, but the latter might require some reading first.

richfitz commented 10 years ago

I was thinking actual functional programming, as it turns out to be a useful way of working in R. But it need not be complicated (understanding lapply and friends requires understanding functional programming so it's not hard). But few people have seen the other side - returning functions from functions.

danlwarren commented 10 years ago

Rightyo. I'm actually fairly new to that stuff, but I'm happy to read up and give it a shot. It's all stuff I should learn anyway!