README.Rmd

TeachStatsWithR
===============

```{r include=FALSE}
require(mosaic)
```

Materials for the MOSAIC "Teaching Statistics with R and RStudio"

### Compiling

The content of each book is in a separate directory.  That directory has a subdirectory, `Master` with a file `Master-*.Rnw`.  

Each of the `.Rnw` files in the content directory can be compiled on it's own.  Just "Knit HTML" in RStudio.  This will create a PDF file.

To create the whole book, you need to recompile each `.Rnw` after setting a variable, `notAsStandAlone=TRUE`.  The process is
```{r eval=FALSE}
require(knitr)
# Change to the directory, e.g. "Starting"
setwd("Starting") # go to your own directory
standAlone=TRUE
fnames <- list.files(pattern="*.Rnw$") # files to recompile
for (fnm in fnames) knit(fnm)
```

### Outline

This project consists of several short books that are inter-related.

1. Start Teaching with R
    Directory: `Starting`
2.  The Core of a Traditional Course
    Directory: `Traditional`
3. Simulation-Based Inference
    Directory: `Simulation`
4. Functions and Formulas
    Directory: `Functions`
5. Teaching with Internet Services
    Directory: `Internet`
6. Start with Modeling
    Directory: `Modeling`
    
APPENDICES

A. Style instructions for authors
B. Possible additional topics

Outlines for the individual chapters are in the `Outline.Rmd` file in each directory.

## Overview

Some general comments about the project as a whole.

```{r starting-outline,child='Starting/Outline-Starting.Rmd',eval=TRUE}
```

```{r traditional-outline,child='Traditional/Outline-Traditional.Rmd',eval=TRUE}
```

```{r simulation-outline,child='Simulation/Outline-Simulation.Rmd',eval=TRUE}
```

```{r functions-outline,child='Functions/Outline-Functions.Rmd',eval=TRUE}
```

```{r internet-outline,child='Internet/Outline-Internet.Rmd',eval=TRUE}
```

```{r modeling-outline,child='Modeling/Outline-Modeling.Rmd',eval=TRUE}
```


Appendix A: Style Instructions for Authors
=======================


Notes for the authors can be included using `\authNote{A note to the authors.}`

Processed notes for the authors can be hidden using `\authNoted{A noted note to the authors.}`

## Some Style Guidelines

1. R Code
    1. Use space after comma in argument lists 
    2. No space around = in argument list
    3. Use space around operators, `<-` and `->`
    4. Casual comments (no need for caps)
    5. When referring to functions in the text, add empty parens (e.g., `data()`) to make it clear that the object is a function.
2. Exercises
    N.B. Some exercises are for instructors, not for students.
    1. Use `\begin{problem} ... \end{problem}` to define problems.
    2. Use `\begin{solution} ... \end{solution}` to define solutions.

This must be \emph{outside} the `problem` environment and before the definition of the next problem.  Put it immediately after `\end{problem}` to avoid confusion.

* Use `\shipoutProblems` to display all problems queued up since the last `shipoutProblems`.
* Examples
    Put within  `\begin{example}` and `end{example}`.  We can tweak the formatting later.

* Marginal Notes
    We can place some marginal notes with:
    * `\InstructorNote{This is an instructor note.}`
    * `\FoodForThought{We can tweak the layout, color, size, etc. later.  For now. I'm just using color to distinguish.}`
    * `\Caution{This is a caution}`


1. Variable names.  Often it's nice to distinguish between anactual variable name and a word that might have a similar name, for instance between sex and `sex`.  Use the `\VN{sex}` command to accomplish this.
1. Model formulas.  Use `\model{A}{B+C}` to generate `A ~ B+C` .  Often, you may want to use variable names, for instance `\model{\VN{height}}{\VN{age}+\VN{sex}}` gives `height ~ age + sex`.
 



### R-forge svn

The mosaic R-forge repository contains

* The `.Rnw` files 
* The dependencies in `bin/`
* *LaTeX* dependencies in `inputs/`  
    * `problems.sty` (for problems and solutions)
    * `authNote.sty` (for author notes)
    * `probstat.sty` (for some prob/stat macros)
    * `sfsect.sty` (for san serif section title fonts)

You may need to set an environment variable to make *LaTeX* look here.
* the `cache/` and `figures/` directories (so that `make` can be used 
without complaint), but *not* their contents, which are generated by `sweave`.
* screenshots and other images not generated by `sweave` are in `images/`

Appendix B: Possible Additional Topics
=====================

Do we want to include any of these topics?
* Fancier Lattice Graphics
* Base Graphics
* Making plots with `ggplots2`
    Only if one of us knows or wants to learn this system.
* Writing executable R scripts
* R Infrastructure for Teaching
    Whatever of this we include might end up in the chapters rather than in 
an appendix.
* Sharing in R Studio
* Public Data
* Google Data
* Making Data Available Online
* A Brief Tour of knitr and R-markdown
* exams
* Books
    * Our books
    * Chance et al (in progress)
    * Existing books that work well/poorly with R (and why)
* Online materials