Final Project Guidelines

Data 309 - Fall 2024

The final project is worth 20% of your final grade. Here’s how your final project will be graded.

Note: If you make a Shiny app, you may incorporate that into the framework below as you see fit.

Required Organizational Structure

  1. Section: Introduction (10%) Your introduction should clearly state the research question(s) addressed by your project. The goal for this section is to make your reader interested in the topic of your project.

  2. Section: Data (10%) The data section should clearly indicate where/how to access the data you used in your project so that any reader could replicate your analysis.

  3. Section: Analysis and Results (20%) This section should present the main figures/tables that answer your research question.

  4. Section: Conclusion (10%) The conclusion should provide a summary of your findings and a discussion of the next steps that you (or someone else interest in your topic) could take to explore your question further.

General Design Principles

  1. Aesthetics (10%) You should use appropriately sized headings (begin the line with (#,##,###,####)) to indicate separate sections. The narrative of your project should be easy to follow. Include some text, but not too much. Utilize an appropriate use of colors. Edit the Quarto yaml to include nice details.

  2. Tiny Details (10%) Your project should be free from spelling and grammatical mistakes. Place your text in Word if you need assistance, or have someone else proofread your project. Make sure the text in your legend and on your axes are formatted well.

  3. Code (20%) All of your R chunks should be well organized and easy to follow. The key here is that all your code should work. Make clear the origins of your data so that others may reproduce your work. With te data you described in your data section, I should be able to run your R Markdown without getting any errors. Try to include:

  1. mutate(), filter(), select(), slice_(), distinct(),
  2. group_by() or pivot_()
  3. for loop or function()
  4. cut() or across() or case_when()
  5. scale_(), theme()

Presentation

  1. Practice Being Professional (10%)
  1. You don’t have to dress up, but no hats or sunglasses.
  2. Ensure your document is loaded/running and displays properly.
  3. Utilize full screen mode fn f11.
  4. Bring our attention on to least one part of code. (Explain what it does, why you like it, etc.)

Looking for More?

  1. Student favorite ggplot extensions.
  2. Make an animation with the gganimate package.
  3. Make a Shiny app.
  4. Use the sf package and make a geographic map.
  5. Use the textbook. Browse the table of contents, it’s excellent.
  6. Remember: original ideas, mastery of the basics & clear communication often beats new-fangled widgets.