This is a project that focuses on showing why its possibly worth investing the time and energy into learning R, for those with legal backgrounds using examples from South Africa.
This project is envisioned as one that ends up as something that can explain the “why” when encouraging people from legal backgrounds to learn R and some data science. Showing persons with non data science backgrounds "why" before getting to "how" and providing a goal project or outcome to work towards is part of this projects vision.
Data, data science, and science are words/fields that often do not feel accessible, useful or necessary to many law students and law graduates. It is difficult to see why learning R programming is useful without relate-able outcomes as examples. My view is that there is merit in showing its usefulness as a research tool or for analysis before starting with intro to R training. R is a tool that is not taught in undergraduate university law programs (as far as I am aware) in South Africa. The problem that I want to solve is the gap between young legal researchers, students or graduates and their ability to relate to and see the potential for learning data science skills or R basics in addition to and complementary to their legal education.
I am most inspired to work openly in research by the reality that so many people lose out on opportunities to learn, contribute and apply research that is not open. I have personally gained a lot from open research shared by others and I would like to contribute in my own way as well.
To contribute to the "Why R" section of the website associated with the project "Why learn R? For people with legal backgrounds" please follow this link and fill out the google form.