Introduction to Communication and Media Research with R [WIP]

By: Alex P. Leith, Ph.D.

Updated: 31-August-2023

This is an open-access textbook primarily created for my MC 451 course at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). I believe that it is important for our media and communication students to learn skills like R to better prepare them for the future of this industry.

Because coding is so frustrating to new learners, I hope this book will demystify the R language enough that they can use it to separate themselves in their future career. I also hope to make them more willing to tackle new complex systems on their own to continue to grow into the future of the communication and media fields.

This is a living document that will be continually adjusted according to feedback from other scholars and students. The current version of this book is a result of multiple semesters of teaching R to students in the Mass Communications department at SIUE, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

I would like to thank, and apologize to, each student that has trudged their way through this process with me. Your feedback has been greatly appreciated and instructive. I hope that each semester continues to become more approachable to students.