Transferable Skills Course: Data Visualization with R

Join this course to learn how to use R to make your data analysis more efficient, compelling, and understandable. This is crucial for effectively conveying the story of your research. Please email imprs-bac@molgen.mpg.de to register.

Schedule

This online course is designed to span three weeks, allowing you to gradually grasp the material instead of attempting to cover everything in just a few days. There are two group sessions and one 1:1 session with the trainer:

• Start eLearning: 21^st April 2025
• 1^st Group Session: 5^th May 2025, 09.30 – 11.30
• 2^nd Group Session: 12^th May 2025, 09.30 – 11.30
• Study Session: 14^th May 2025, 14.30 – 16.30
• 1:1 Mentoring Session: 19^th May 2025, 09.00 – 13.00 (plus 13:00-17:30 if necessary)

Two weeks before the first group session you will receive access to the course material, which you will need to work through before the group sessions. This should take about 1-2 hours of your time per day.

Self-study Periods: You will independently study the course material. It's encouraged that you complete a small part (1 – 2 hours) of the course each day, and you will receive helpful email reminders throughout the course.

Group Learning Sessions: You will participate in two 2-hour learning sessions with Rick. During these Zoom sessions, you’ll discuss key points engage in group exercises. Feel free to ask questions. They are highly encouraged to foster collective learning.

Case Study Sessions: In this 2-hour Zoom session, you will explore real-world case studies. Together with your group, you'll discuss various solutions and interpretations while examining the reasons for and against them.

1:1 Mentoring Session: The course will wrap up with a personalized 1:1 Mentoring Session with Rick. During this online session, you'll have a 30–45 minutes to ask any questions related to your data and receive tailored guidance based on your specific needs.

Content

• Use Figures and Tables to effectively tell the story of their research.
• Decide whether text, tables, or plots are most appropriate to convey the message of each result.
• Choose the most appropriate plot type for their data.
• Understand the science of perception and apply design principles to communicate their message clearly.
• Use aesthetics to relate sensory attributes (color, shape, etc.) to abstractions (enrichment, change-over-time).
• Distinguish between graphics for publication and for data exploration.
• Interactive visualizations if time permits

You can find an extensive description of the course and its prerequisites here.

Before signing up for this workshop, please make sure that you can attend all the dates and write them in your calendar. If you do not show up or cancel at very short notice, other interested students will not be able to participate.