Using R at the Bench: Step-by-Step Data Analytics for Biologists
is a convenient bench-side handbook for biologists, designed as a handy
reference guide for elementary and intermediate statistical analyses
using the free/public software package known as "R." The expectations
for biologists to have a more complete understanding of statistics are
growing rapidly. New technologies and new areas of science, such as
microarrays, next-generation sequencing, and proteomics, have
dramatically increased the need for quantitative reasoning among
biologists when designing experiments and interpreting results. Even the
most routine informatics tools rely on statistical assumptions and
methods that need to be appreciated if the scientific results are to be
correct, understood, and exploited fully.

Although the original Statistics at the Bench
is still available for sale and has all examples in Excel, this new
book uses the same text and examples in R. A new chapter introduces the
basics of R: where to download, how to get started, and some basic
commands and resources. There is also a new chapter that explains how to
analyze next-generation sequencing data using R (specifically,
RNA-Seq). R is powerful statistical software with many specialized
packages for biological applications and Using R at the Bench: Step-by-Step Data Analytics for Biologists
is an excellent resource for those biologists who want to learn R. This
handbook for working scientists provides a simple refresher for those
who have forgotten what they once knew and an overview for those wishing
to use more quantitative reasoning in their research. Statistical
methods, as well as guidelines for the interpretation of results, are
explained using simple examples. Throughout the book, examples are
accompanied by detailed R commands for easy reference.