Writing tools
Background
This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to using R, RStudio, GitHub, and GitHub Desktop for collaborative manuscript development. These tools enable version control, streamline teamwork, and enhance documentation throughout the research and writing process. Additionally, it introduces various supplementary resources, including LaTex, TablesGenerator, and Zotero, to further assist and streamline the research and writing processes.
Datasets:
All of the datasets used in this tutorial can be accessed from this GitHub repository folder
If you’re new to R Markdown, consider reviewing the introductory tutorial.
Overview of tutorials
Git and GitHub
This tutorial introduces the fundamentals of Git and GitHub as essential tools for version control and collaborative research. It explains how Git tracks changes over time, enabling reproducibility and accountability in manuscript writing, while GitHub serves as a cloud-based platform to host and manage Git repositories.
Configure Git in RStudio
Learn how to configure Git by linking your GitHub credentials to RStudio. This is a necessary step for making authenticated changes to remote repositories.
Create and Clone a Git Repository
Understand how to create a repository on GitHub and “clone” it locally. This step sets up the shared workspace for manuscript development.
Updating Repository Contents from RStudio
Gain familiarity with essential Git commands—pull, commit, and push—for synchronizing changes and managing version control across collaborators.
Formatting Resources
This section provides a wealth of tools and platforms beneficial for researchers and writers in managing and creating scientific documents. It encompasses LaTex and ShareLaTeX for document preparation, TablesGenerator for converting tables from MS Word to various formats, and R packages like “officer” and “flextable” for generating tables and charts. It also introduces draw.io for crafting flow charts, platforms like jane for identifying suitable journals, officetimeline for creating Gantt charts, and Google Docs for real-time collaborative writing. Moreover, it highlights Zotero and ZoteroBib as comprehensive tools for reference management and bibliography creation, facilitating organized, collaborative, and streamlined research and writing processes.
Optional Content:
You’ll find that some sections conclude with an optional video walkthrough that demonstrates the code. Keep in mind that the content might have been updated since these videos were recorded. Watching these videos is optional.
Bug Report:
Fill out this form to report any issues with the tutorial.