Dynamic Graphics and Reporting for Statistics
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Heike Hofmann
Committee Member
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Altmetrics
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Abstract
Statistics as a scientific discipline has a dynamic nature, which can be
observed in many statistical algorithms and theories as well as in data
analysis. For example, asymptotic theories in statistics are inherently
dynamic: they describe how a statistic or an estimator behaves as the sample
size increases. Data analysis is almost never a static process. Instead, it
is an iterative process involving cleaning, describing, modeling, and
re-cleaning the data. Reports may end up being re-written due to changes in
the data and analysis.
This thesis consists of three parts, addressing the dynamic aspects of
statistics and data analysis. In the first part, we show how to explain the
ideas behind some statistical methods using animations, followed by an
introduction to the design and functionality of the animation package. In
the second part, we discuss the design of an interactive statistical
graphics system, with an emphasis on the reactive programming paradigm and
its connection with the data infrastructure in R, as utilized in the cranvas
package. In the third part, we provide a solution to statistical reporting,
which is implemented in the knitr package, making use of literate
programming. It frees us from the traditional approach of cut-and-paste, and
provides a seamless integration of computing and reporting that enhances
reproducible research. Demos and examples were given along with the
discussion.