What’s New in R: February 3, 2025

Welcome to this week’s edition of ​What’s New in R​! This week, we’re featuring a comprehensive guide to ggplot2 theming, an artistic approach to map-making, and an advanced course on data visualization in R. Let’s dive in!

Getting Started with theme()

The theme() function in ggplot2 is a powerful tool for customizing your plots, but it can be overwhelming at first. In this detailed guide from Jack Kennedy of Jumping Rivers, you’ll learn how to modify various aspects of your ggplot2 themes, from adjusting text properties to fine-tuning plot margins. The post provides clear examples and explanations that will help you gain confidence in creating your own custom themes.

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Creating Typewriter Maps in R

Nicola Rennie shares a creative and unique approach to cartography in R, inspired by RJ Andrews. This tutorial walks you through the process of creating typewriter-styled maps using ggplot2. The post combines artistic design with technical implementation, showing how to transform geographic data into a distinctive vintage aesthetic that mimics the output of a typewriter.

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Build Advanced Charts in R

This LinkedIn Learning course (many libraries give free access, btw!) by Rita Giordano (who was the technical reviewer for R for the Rest of Us: A Statistics-Free Introduction) takes you beyond the basics of data visualization in R. The course covers advanced charting techniques and helps you develop sophisticated visualization skills. Whether you’re looking to create complex statistical plots or custom interactive visualizations, this course provides the tools and knowledge you need to take your R plotting skills to the next level.

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Got any ideas for resources I should feature in future issues of What’s New in R? Leave a comment below!