Category R-Programming

Calculating the United State’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

By in Economics, R-Programming Tag , ,

Summary: this post provides R code that reproduces the announced 'reciprocal' tariffs imposed by the US. Soon after Trump's tariffs were announced, it was noted the 'reciprocal' tariffs looked suspiciously like the US trade deficit divided by imports. Ever the skeptic, I couldn't believe it could be this simple. So. I decided to check it out myself with the help of R and UN Comtrade data. Here's my answer, neatly documented in R code. If you're interested in reproducing this analysis you'll need to get an API key for the comtradr package. Once you have an API key you need…

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Enrollments open: An Introduction to R for Policy Analysis

By in Data Science, Public Policy, R-Programming Tag , , ,

A long-time ago, in the midst of a global pandemic, I launched the first online version of 'R Programming for Policy Analysis'. Although I'd run several workshops on applied policy analysis in the past, these sessions were usually for teams that worked exclusively on data analysis and modelling. But, the unexpected chord struck by a short listicle I wrote on R, indicated there was wider interest in an accessible introduction to the R programming for policy generalists, consultants and researchers. I therefore launched the first version of the course at the Microsoft Reactor Hub in Sydney, before delivering it as…

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R Programming for Policy Analysis – 2021 Course Resources

By in Data Science, Public Policy, R-Programming Tag , , ,

Note: Registrations for 'An Introduction to R Programming for Policy Analysis' are now open at PolicyAnalysisLab.com. A long-time ago, in the midst of a global pandemic, I launched the first online version of my 'R Programming for Policy Analysis' course with a motley crew of consultants, policy analysts and researchers. Despite being cobbled together using a combination of teleconferencing and duct-tape, the course was rated highly by participants. So much so, that I still receive requests from people interested in accessing session recordings and course resources. And while having people reaching out to me directly has its advantages - such…

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Gender Diversity in the International Development Sector

By in Data Science, International Development, Public Policy, R-Programming Tag , , , ,

Just how diverse is the senior leadership of international aid organizations? Colleague Astrid Haas and I recently launched a research project to attempt to answer exactly this for a key dimension of diversity: gender. Data and R code used in the analysis are provided at the bottom of the post Although I label myself 'an economist' at cocktail parties (or would, if I were invited to any), much of my career has been spent in the 'international development'. For those unfamiliar with what this means, in essence much of my work focuses on the challenges faced by nations, communities and…

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Everything is Correlated(?): How Common are Significant Cross-Country Correlations?

By in Data Science, Economics, International Development, R-Programming Tag , , ,

An (unscientific) approach for determining the 'typical' frequency of significant cross-country correlations using World Bank data and R. What attracted me to the field of economics when introduced to it in high-school was the apparent abundance of solutions it offered for everyday problems. Does your country have low life expectancy? No problems: research has found that countries that invest more in public health perform better on this measure. Low GDP per-capita? Just improve your governance; as better governed countries tend to be richer. Suffering from internal conflict? Rough-terrain is statistically linked to conflict, perhaps you could invest in earth-moving equipment?…

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Spaghetti Code Dieting Tips

By in R-Programming Tag , , ,

As an independent consultant the majority of my work is about solving novel problems faced by my clients. At a basic level, a client has a question they need answered or a problem they'd like solved and my job is to develop something that meets their needs (given the time and budget available to them). While the novel problems I'm often presented with is part of what makes my job fun. The ad-hoc nature of each project has sometimes meant past projects were organized in an ad-hoc fashion. For some of my past analysis projects I'd output everything to a…

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R Programming for Public Policy Analysis

By in Data Science, Opinion, Public Policy, R-Programming Tag , , , , , , ,

Early in 2019 I posted a short 'listicle' with some of the key reasons I think Python and/or R should become essential tools in a modern policy analyst’s toolkit. The full article is here, but the headline points in the article were; R programming’s use across disciplines fitting in well with multidisciplinary policy analysis teams; the greater reproducibility/transparency written code provides; and the practical advantages that can come from automating repetitive bits of policy analysis (such as reporting results of policy analysis across multiple scenarios). While the article didn’t end in me getting a book deal, it did result in…

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7 Reasons for policy professionals to get into R programming in 2019

By in Economics, Opinion, R-Programming Tag , ,

In response to how popular this post was, I've run several crash courses on using R for policy analysis. However, the demand to participate in these sessions has exceeded what's practical, which is why I'll be launching the first fully online version of the course in 2023. To learn more and sign up go to PolicyAnalysisLab.com Note: A version of this article was also published via LinkedIn here and on Medium here.  With the rise of ‘Big Data’, ‘Machine Learning’ and the ‘Data Scientist’ has come an explosion in the popularity of using open-source programming tools for data analysis. This…

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A Review of John Hopkins University’s Online Data Science Specialization (Coursera.org)

By in Opinion, R-Programming Tag , , ,

So for all those loyal subscribers out there (hey mum!) you might wonder what the hell happened to my constant stream of insightful, relevant and handsome blog posts. Well, I’d have to say you’re thinking about me a little too much - I’d suggest committing yourself to a hobby like me. Perhaps regular blogging? Surviving Nay Pyi Taw In truth, Myanmar has also kept me pretty busy. That is until recently, when I was handed a steaming pile of free time as a result of moving to the traffic-free social desert that is Nay Pi Taw, Myanmar. And how would…

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