Loading and Exploring Datasets

Every data exploration begins with data, quite obviously. Thus, it is important for us to know how to load datasets to RStudio before we get to work. In this chapter, we will learn the different ways to load data to an RStudio session. We will begin by importing some sample datasets that come with some preinstalled libraries from R, then move on to reading data from Comma-Separated Values (CSV) files, which turns out to be one of the most used file types in Data Science, given its compatibility with many other programs and data readers.

We will also learn about the basic differences between a Data Frame and a Tibble, followed by a section where we will learn the basics of Web Scraping, which is another good way to acquire data. Later in the chapter, we will learn how to save our data to our local machine and paint a picture of a good workflow for data exploration.

We will cover the following main topics:

• How to load files to RStudio
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