Ten simple rules for finding and selecting R packages

Abstract

R is an increasingly preferred software environment for data analytics and statistical computing among scientists and practitioners. Packages markedly extend R’s utility and ameliorate inefficient solutions to data science problems. We outline 10 simple rules for finding relevant packages and determining which package is best for your desired use. We begin in Rule 1 with tips on how to consider your purpose, which will guide your search to follow, where, in Rule 2, you’ll learn best practices for finding and collecting options. Rules 3 and 4 will help you navigate packages’ profiles and explore the extent of their online resources, so that you can be confident in the quality of the package you choose and assured that you’ll be able to access support. In Rules 5 and 6, you’ll become familiar with how the R Community evaluates packages and learn how to assess the popularity and utility of packages for yourself. Rules 7 and 8 will teach you how to investigate and track package development processes, so you can further evaluate their merit. We end in Rules 9 and 10 with more hands-on approaches, which involve digging into package code.