In today’s article, we will introduce you to the 4 best YouTube channels to learn R programming from scratch. R is one of the most popular and widely used programming languages for statistics and data science.
It is an open-source programming language and computing environment that allows users to develop statistical applications, perform data analysis, and create powerful data visualizations.
One of the main advantages of R is that it is free, flexible, and relatively easy to learn, making it a suitable choice for both beginners and experienced users. R can be installed on different operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.
R also supports a wide range of common data formats, including PDF, HTML, and CSV, allowing users to import, process, and analyze data from different sources.
It can also work with data from popular tools and technologies such as Microsoft Excel, MySQL, and Oracle, making it a practical choice for data analysis and statistical computing.
The applications of R extend far beyond statistics and data science. It is widely used in fields such as genetics and genomics, geographic information systems (GIS), economics, and social media analytics. For example, R can be used to analyze user behavior and social media data from platforms such as Twitter.
If you are looking for a convenient way to learn R programming, YouTube is a great place to start. The channels featured in this article provide useful tutorials that simplify R programming and help you understand its core concepts step by step.
Whether you are interested in computer science, statistics, data science, or data analysis, these free R programming tutorials can help you build a solid foundation and develop practical skills at your own pace.
Introduction to R Software
As the name suggests, this channel provides an introduction to the R programming language and serves as an intensive course for anyone looking to learn the basics of R programming. The course is offered by NPTEL, one of India’s leading educational initiatives, which provides a wide range of learning materials and courses for free.
Throughout this introductory course, you will explore many of the fundamental concepts and features of R programming, including:
- Functions
- Arrays
- Missing Data
- Logical Operations
- Loops and Iteration
- Data Management
- Sorting and Ranking
- Lists
- Vector Indexing
- Strings
- Data Frames
- Importing Data from Other Programs
- Graphics and Charts
- Box Plots, Skewness, and Kurtosis
This makes the course a useful starting point for beginners who want to learn R programming from scratch and develop the practical skills needed for statistical analysis and data science. By working through these topics step by step, learners can build a solid foundation before moving on to more advanced R programming concepts.
R Programming – DDS
This channel features a small collection of videos dedicated to learning the R programming language, covering some of the most useful tutorials and practical tasks you may need when studying or working with R.
The videos cover topics such as:
- How to Import Excel Files into R
- How to Download and Install R
- R vs. Python: A Comparison
- How to Use dplyr
The channel also provides practical guidance on using dplyr, one of the most popular R packages for data manipulation. In particular, you can learn how to work with some of its most commonly used functions, including:
- mutate()
- group_by()
- filter()
- select()
- summarize()
Although the channel contains only a limited number of videos, its tutorials focus on practical R programming tasks that can be particularly useful for beginners.
It can therefore be a good supplementary resource for anyone looking to learn R programming from scratch and improve their data manipulation skills.
R Programming 101
This channel focuses on the essential information and practical tutorials you may need when working with R, whether for statistics, data organization, or data manipulation.
In the “R Programming for Beginners” playlist, you will find a variety of easy-to-follow lessons that introduce the fundamentals of R programming step by step. The topics include:
- Why Should You Use R?
- How to Install and Use RStudio
- How to Upload Data and Install Packages
- How to Import Excel Files into RStudio
- Using Data Manipulation Functions
- Types of Data
- Renaming Variables and Reordering Columns
- Using tidyverse and dplyr to Create New Variables
- Using tidyverse to Filter Data and Create Subsets
- Working with Functions and Objects in R
- Exploring Data with R
- Data Manipulation
- Describing and Summarizing Data
- R Programming in One Hour
This playlist is especially useful for beginners because it combines basic R programming concepts with practical data analysis and data manipulation techniques. It can help you build a strong foundation in R and become more comfortable working with real-world datasets.
MarinStatsLectures-R Programming & Statistics
The lectures on this channel are presented by Professor Mike Marin, a lecturer at the University of British Columbia. His content focuses on explaining the relationship between the R programming language and statistics, particularly for master’s and PhD students.
However, the channel is also suitable for a wide range of learners, especially those at the beginner and intermediate levels of statistics. This makes it an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn R programming from scratch while developing a stronger understanding of statistics.
Professor Mike Marin introduces learners to several important statistical topics, including one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and bivariate analysis. He also explains statistics for beginners through the “Statistics for Beginners: Puppet Master of Statistics” playlist.
Some of the videos included in this playlist cover topics such as:
- Confidence Interval – Understanding confidence intervals.
- Sampling Distribution – Learning about sampling distributions.
- Hypothesis Test – Understanding statistical hypothesis testing.
- P-Value – Learning what a p-value means and how it is used in statistical analysis.
The channel also offers dedicated playlists focused on data analysis using the R programming language. Through these tutorials, you can learn how to work with and analyze data using R, including topics such as:
- Graphs and Descriptive Statistics
- Probability Distributions
- Bivariate Analysis
By combining R programming tutorials with practical statistics lessons, the channel provides a useful learning path for students who want to learn R for statistics and data analysis. Whether you are just starting out or already have some experience, these tutorials can help you gradually develop your R programming and statistical analysis skills.
Conclusion
Learning R programming from scratch can open the door to many exciting opportunities in statistics, data science, data analysis, and research. With the YouTube channels mentioned in this article, you can start learning R step by step, practice what you learn, and gradually build the skills you need to work with real-world data.
You do not need to be an expert programmer to get started. All you need is consistency, patience, and a willingness to practice. Choose the channel that suits your learning level, start with the basics, and keep improving as you go.
We hope these resources help you take your first steps toward mastering R programming. And don’t forget to follow our website to discover more useful tutorials, free learning resources, programming courses, and educational content!
