Read the first chapter of An Introduction to R by Mark Gardener.
The modern world is awash with data. The R Project is a statistical environment and programming language that can help to make sense of it all. A huge open-source project, R has become enormously popular because of its power and flexibility. With R you can organise, analyse and visualise data. This clear and methodical book will help you learn how to use R from the ground up, giving you a start in the world of data science.
Learning about data is important in many academic and business settings, and R offers a potent and adaptable programming toolbox. The book covers a range of topics, including: importing/exporting data, summarising data, visualising data, managing and manipulating data objects, data analysis (regression, ANOVA and association among others) and programming functions. Regardless of your background or specialty, you'll find this book the perfect primer on data analysis, data visualisation and data management, and a springboard for further exploration.