R Toolbox
Tatjana Kecojevic, Dusko Medic, SisterAnalyst
Asking questions is a primary function of good journalism. Posing the right question at the right time can open the door to information leading to Pulitzer-prize notoriety, revealing social injustices or translating hyperbole to actuality. In the same way, effective data journalism depends on asking questions, seeking stories and responding to events, the only difference being that answers can be found in numbers. Data can provide deeper insights into regional and global events and their impact on communities and individuals. Numbers don’t lie, people do. Data analysis and presentation of associated findings make it extremely difficult to hide behind half-truths and bluster. Reason is a potent force when backed up with the science of data and speculation evolves into hard fact. The availability of big data makes it much easier for those with the skills to tap into this huge resource and its potential to add weight to many stories. Data driven journalism can provide insights into narratives that could only be imagined a decade ago. The misconception that data science is the territory of computer nerds is well past its sell by date. To those with the curiosity and desire to see beyond second hand observations, we provide the tools that enable journalists to ask the right questions scrutinise the narrative and deliver authoritative outcomes. It’s a lot more straight-forward than you may have imagined!
“The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see… Let us take boring flat data and bring it to life through visualization.”
R together with RStudio is the best data science tool! It is open source and free software that is available to anyone with a desire to discover, learn, explore, experience, expand and share the algorithms of their data science journey.
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