Final Project

Welcome to the final project! In this assignment, you will learn to use the lessons we have covered in the class.

Due Date: March 20th, 2025

What to Turn In

Submit a single zipped folder. This folder must contain the following:

  • RStudio Project
  • Data Folder: Inside the RStudio project folder, create a folder named data. This folder should contain the dataset you used for your analysis. The dataset must be in a readily readable format (e.g., CSV, TXT, XLSX).
  • Quarto Document: A Quarto file named final_project.qmd in the root of your RStudio Project Folder (NOT within the data directory). This file contains your entire analysis, code, narrative, and visualizations.
  • Two Rendered Files:
    • HTML Output File: The rendered HTML output of your Quarto document.
    • PDF Output File: The rendered PDF output of your Quarto document.
  • Bib file (references.bib): file to contain all your citations.
Important Notes on Submission

  • Reproducibility: Your project must be fully reproducible. This means that I should be able to download your zipped folder, open the RStudio project, open the final_project.qmd file, click “Render,” and generate the exact same HTML and PDF outputs without any errors. If your project is not reproducible, you will lose significant points.

  • File Paths: Use relative file paths within your Quarto document to refer to your dataset (e.g., “data/my_data.csv”). Do not use absolute file paths (e.g., “C:/Users/YourName/Documents/…”). Absolute paths will break reproducibility.

  • No External Dependencies (Beyond Packages): Do not rely on files outside your project folder. Everything needed to run your analysis should be within the submitted zip file.

  • Clean Code: Your code should be well-commented, readable, and organized. Use meaningful variable names.

Assignment Instructions

Your task is to perform a data analysis and create a report documenting your findings. You can choose one of the following options:

  • Option 1: Analyze Your Own Data: Use a dataset that you have collected or found online (from a reputable source). The dataset should not be one we used directly in class examples.

  • Option 2: Reproduce/Extend a Published Analysis: Find a published research paper that includes data analysis. Your task is to reproduce (as closely as possible) some results of the paper.

The Quato file must at least include the following elements:

  • YAML Header:
    • title: A descriptive title for your project.
    • author: Your name and affiliation (e.g., “Your Name, Your University”).
  • Introduction: Provide a brief introduction that explains the purpose of your analysis, the dataset you are using, and the research question(s) you are addressing.
  • Data Analysis: Conduct some analysis to address your research question(s). Ideally use what we learnt with vectorization/functionally programming, but this is not required. Data analysis could involve (but definitely not limited to): :
    • Calculating descriptive statistics.
    • Performing statistical tests.
    Additionally, you should clearly explain your findings in words. Do not just show code and output; interpret the results.
  • Visualization: Include at least one publication-quality figure.
  • References: Cite at least two relevant sources. Use a BibTeX file (references.bib) to manage your citations. You can use any citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).