Date Published:
Apr 4, 2007
Abstract:
We describe some progress toward a common framework for statistical analysis and software development
built on and within the R language, including R’s numerous existing packages. The framework we have
developed offers a simple unified structure and syntax that can encompass a large fraction of statistical procedures
already implemented in R, without requiring any changes in existing approaches. We conjecture that
it can be used to encompass and present simply a vast majority of existing statistical methods, regardless of
the theory of inference on which they are based, notation with which they were developed, and programming
syntax with which they have been implemented. This development enabled us, and should enable others,
to design statistical software with a single, simple, and unified user interface that helps overcome the conflicting
notation, syntax, jargon, and statistical methods existing across the methods subfields of numerous
academic disciplines. The approach also enables one to build a graphical user interface that automatically
includes any method encompassed within the framework. We hope that the result of this line of research
will greatly reduce the time from the creation of a new statistical innovation to its widespread use by applied
researchers whether or not they use or program in R.
Notes:
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