Excel + R (Free Download
Statistics & Graphics)
Roland Fox is senior lecturer at Salford
Business School, Salford University. He
graduated from Manchester University
and joined PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Subsequently, he worked in insurance
and for a multinational company
before taking up a lecturing post. He
has published a number of papers,
chapters, and books on management
accounting, finance, and education.
© Business Expert Press 978-1-94744-103-3 (2018)
www.businessexpertpress.com
Abstract: R is a free-download statistics and graphics pro-
gram that outputs the complete range of statistics and
a professional standard of graphics. Starting with Excel,
this publication offers a simple pathway through R that
covers 90% of a user’s needs and also gives directions as
to how the user can adapt R to his or her more particu-
lar requirements. Using a split screen, users can copy,
paste, and adapt the instructions from this publication
to his or her program—a process aided by color coding.
Once downloaded, the program operates independently
of the Internet on any standard PC or laptop.
Keywords: free download, graphics, R, statistics
Essentials
■■ R is a free programming language that analyzes data
from a “library” that covers all known statistics. R then
presents statistics, tables, graphs, charts, etc. to a
­professional standard.
■■ Topics addressed are: downloading, inputting data,
histograms, subsetting, barplots, colors, scattergrams,
heatmaps, regression, Cronbach’s alpha, factor a­ nalysis,
bootstrapping (repeated tests), errors, and further reading.
■■ Once mastered, you can use R for life wherever you go,
and it will always be up to date because it is open source.
■■ See Figure 1 for an overview of the process.
So what are the problems?
1. Typing instructions: These have to be exactly right
in the same way as an Excel instruction, only a bit
more complicated; but remember you are for the most
part copying and pasting from this manual.
2. Seduction: This is a serious problem! Do not try to
“learn” R as in “R made simple” type books—it is too
­complicated, do not try! You will pick up a few words of
this language but any more will waste loads of your time.
a. Only use what you need.
b. Do not waste time trying to prettify your output
in R, it can probably be done in Excel or Word—if
you must. R is not a game.
Expert Insights
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 Excel + R (Free Download Statistics & Graphics)

Figure 1: Combining this Manual with Excel and R

3. Frustration: As every programmer will
know, you have to get used to making
mistakes and sorting them out. There is
a help function but it often misidentifies
the problem.
4. Short cuts: Do not take them! There
are usually multiple ways in R of getting
the same or similar output. The “longer”
route is in truth a few more minutes.
Wasting hours trying to find a shorter
way is much longer. For example, there
is a missing values procedure in R, don’t
use it. Sort out your missing values in
Excel, it will take a little longer compared
with someone who knows how to do it
in R but do not be seduced.
Remember the advantages: Any
statistic you want is available in
R, graphs etc. are to a professional
standard.

2 © Business Expert Press 978-1-94744-103-3 (2018) Expert Insights

www.businessexpertpress.com
 Excel + R (Free Download Statistics & Graphics)

Download R Figure 3: Color Code Convention

To Start: Google “R
Statistics Free Download”
Or Similar And Follow.

There are differing configurations of R but

all should have these elements as shown in
Figure 2

Figure 2: One of Several Ways R can Appear on Your Screen

R is very stable, keep it on your l­ aptop
or tower or both and it will work in
the same way permanently. Apart
from the initial download, you do
not need the internet.
Color Code (Before Using R We Need
a Convention)
Use this manual by copying and pasting
the instructions from here to the R program
and changing the GREEN sections as in
Figure 3. Copy the shortened v ­ ersions in
­purple. You must copy one line only;
­copying an instruction that covers ­ several
lines ­produces a + sign and an error message!

© Business Expert Press 978-1-94744-103-3 (2018) Expert Insights

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