Social Science Data Analysis in r

Why -> Where -> How -> What -> Who

Gregers Kjerulf Dubrow

CopenhagenR

14 May, 2025

Social Science Data Analysis in r

The plan for this evening

• Why a talk about social science data analysis?
  • Social science is the root of data analysis & visualization
• Where can I find data?
  • There’s more to it than csv downloads
• How do I analyse data and report what I find?
  • It’s easier than ever to do the work and share it
• What does it mean in the current context?
  • Job market, ML, AI, business, government, research
• Who has thoughts or questions?

Why a talk on social sciences data analysis?

• It’s who I am
  • Ph.D. in education policy, training in social science quantitative & qualitative methods
  • Fifteen years as a data analyst reporting on college admissions & student success
• There is plenty of data available
  • I’m also a teacher, so I want to inform and help other analysts to do good work

Why a talk on social sciences data analysis?

There’s more to it than Minard…

Why a talk on social sciences data analysis?

…social sciences shaped the data analysis & visualization fields

WEB DuBois infographics from Paris Expo

Florence Nightingale rose plot

John Snow cholera map

Where can I find data?

Way back when (late 1990s -> early 2000s)

gopher, telnet, ftp

WebCASPAR

Where can I find data now?

Tired - csv downloads

Wired - APIs

Where can I find data now?

Inspired - Packages with API wrappers and functions

ropengov.org/projects/

r311 cities

Where can I find data now?

Inspired - Packages with API wrappers and functions

github.com/expersso/OECD

docs.ropensci.org/essurvey/

urbaninstitute.github.io/education-data-package-r/

ilostat.github.io/Rilostat/

Where can I find data now?

Inspired - Packages with API wrappers and functions

walker-data.com/tidycensus/D

www.hrecht.com/censusapi/

tech.popdata.org/ipumsr/

A quick note of caution

Nothing lasts forever

• API links can change
  • Your scripts or automations may stop working
• Packages need maintenance
  • No updates mean broken scripts or automations
• API endpoints can be shut down
  • Spotify :(

• Loss of funding
  • Government, NGOs
    (story from Inside Higher Ed on NCES layoffs)

How do I analyze & visualize data and share my work?

Live coding demo

• Danmarks Statistik StatBank

• Get data via a package

• Clean & visualize the data

What does it all mean in the current context?

• Data science/data analyst/BI analyst labor market
  • It’s how we were trained, but it’s not all we can do
  • Machine learning & AI are built on core statistics like regression
• Transferable skills & how to demonstrate them
  • Curiosity
  • Adaptability
  • Willingness to keep learning
• What can you offer
  • Insights that help the company or organization
  • Contribute to the data community
    • read & support data blogs
    • post your own work, help others master skills or gain insights
    • write packages if you have mastered an API
    • attend meetups like this, support presenters, do your own presentations

What thoughts or questions do you have?

Thank you!

https://www.gregdubrow.io/

https://github.com/greg-dubrow

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dubrowg/

https://bsky.app/profile/gregerskjerulf.bsky.social

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/greg.d6950/vizzes

ps - I’m available for freelance / contract data analysis & visualization projects, teaching, tutoring…