Sunday, August 6, 9 am -5 pm
Organizers: Rohan Sadler, Candan Soykan

Ecologists explore relationships between multiple processes in ecological systems as a natural consequence of ecological systems being highly complex. Consequently, data are often multivariate with important correlations “hidden” by complex interactions between processes. Multiple linear regression is a fundamental statistical analysis by which significant interactions can be identified and separated from “noise”. The workshop will serve as a practical introduction to the R statistical language by having participants step through the process of multiple linear regression. No knowledge of R is assumed. Hence, participants begin with the basics of R syntax and progress with a series of “mini-labs”. Topics include: data management; exploratory analysis of multivariate data; defining and using qualitative factor variables; applying and interpreting the model; variable selection; and regression diagnostics. Coverage of the topics will necessarily be brief, but participants will have successfully applied multiple linear regression tools to “real” ecological data by the end of the workshop. Participants are requested to bring their own laptops with R pre-loaded as no computers will be provided.