The website http://asdfree.com/ offers obsessively-detailed instructions to analyze a wide variety of publicly-available datasets with easy-to-follow R language instructions. This resource generally contains three core components step-by-step: (1) Download automation or data acquisition; (2) Helpfully-noted analysis examples; (3) Replication of published estimates to prove correct methodology.

This course is suitable for individuals interested in conducting original research with the extremely rich and varied amount of public data available. This course could be of interest to anyone hoping to learn more about quantitative research, economics, public policy, demography, or any other field reliant on social statistics to better understand individuals and businesses.

Both beginner or advanced R users are welcome! Some understanding of R syntax will be helpful depending on the complexity of the microdata chosen, but the instructor will attempt to guide participants toward datasets appropriate for their coding skill level.