We will be using R, an open-source statistical program. Open-source, of course, means that it is free to use. R is a programming language, and the basic R program runs through command-line. To make it easy on first-time users, we will also be using R’s graphical user interface, RStudio, that runs R in one of its windows – without you having to open R.
Go to the R website to download the program. Under the “Download and Install R” section, select the distribution that matches your computer’s operating system (macOS/OSX, Windows, Linux).
For Windows Users: On the next page, select the link/word “base”. On the following page, select the large link (which should be something like “Download R 3.x.x for Windows”)
For Linux Users: On the next page, select your specific distribution, and follow the instructions.
For Mac Users: using the table below, select the R download that corresponds to your operating system
| Operating System | R Link |
|---|---|
| macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer | download |
| macOS 11 (Big Sur) - macOS 12 (Monterey) | download |
| macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) - macOS 10.15 (Catalina) | download |
| macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) - macOS 10.12 (Sierra) | download |
| macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) - macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) | download |
Next, we will download RStudio which is a easily understandable user interface for using R. If you’re using a laptop/desktop computer (e.g. not a tablet), under “RStudio Desktop” click “Download”. Next, it should take you to a page with a “Download” button.
| Operating System | RStudio Link |
|---|---|
| macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer | download |
| macOS 11 (Big Sur) - macOS 12 (Monterey) | download |
| macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) - macOS 10.15 (Catalina) | download |
| macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) - macOS 10.12 (Sierra) | download |
| macOS 10.9 (Mavericks) - macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) | download |
2. After the download is complete, install the RStudio
program.