README.Rmd

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# [Winnipeg workshop: Handling missing data in `R` with `mice`](http://amices.github.io/Winnipeg/)

## Overview

This site contains materials for the Biostatistics Workshop *Handling missing data in `R` with `mice`* the 45th Annual Meeting of the Statistical Society of Canada, dated Sunday, June 11, 2017, located in Winnipeg E3 - 270 (EITC).

## Motivation

Nearly all data analytic procedures in R are designed for complete data, and many will fail if the data contain missing values. Typically, procedures simply ignore any incomplete rows in the data, or use ad-hoc procedures like replacing missing values with some sort of "best value". However, such fixes may introduce biases in the ensuing statistical analysis.

Multiple imputation is a principled solution for this problem. The aim of this workshop is to enable participants to perform and evaluate multiple imputation using the R package `mice`.

## Contents

The workshop will consist of 5 sessions, each of which comprises a lecture followed by a computer practical using `R`:

1. Session I: Introduction, issues raised by missing data, and towards a systematic approach
2. Session II: Introduction to multiple imputation
3. Session III: Multivariate missing data (joint model approach, chained equations)
4. Session IV: Imputation in practice (large data sets, hierarchical data, non-linearities, interactions)
5. Session V: After imputation, guidelines for analysis and reporting

## How to prepare

Please remember to bring your own laptop computer and make sure that you have write-access to that machine (some corporate computers do not allow write access) or that you have the following software and packages pre-installed.

---

1. Download and install the latest version of `R` from [the R-Project website](https://cloud.r-project.org)
2. Download and install the most recent version of `RStudio Desktop (Free License)` from [RStudio's website](https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download3/). This is not necessary, per se, but it is highly recommended as `RStudio` delivers a tremendous improvement to the user experience of base `R`.
3. Install the following packages: [`mice`](https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/mice/index.html), and [`lattice`](https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/lattice/index.html)

  - You can simply install packages from within `RStudio` by navigating to `Tools > Install Packages` in the upper menu and entering `mice, lattice` into the `Packages` field. Make sure that the button `Install dependencies` is selected. Once done, click `Install` and you're all set.
  - Or, from within `R` or `RStudio`, copy, paste and enter the following code in the console window (by default the top-right window in `RStudio` / the only window in `R`):
  
```{r eval=FALSE}
install.packages("mice")
install.packages("lattice")
```

---

## Workshop materials

1. [Lectures](Lectures/Winnipeg.pdf)
2. [Handout](Lectures/WinnipegHandout.pdf)
3. [Practical I](Practicals/Practical_I.html)
4. [Practical II](Practicals/Practical_II.html)
5. [Practical III](Practicals/Practical_III.html)
6. [Practical IV](Practicals/Practical_IV.html)