26 - How R provides a flexible and accessible framework to streamline reporting

Oskar Burger of OMNI Institute will discuss how R can streamline one’s workflow, from data cleaning to reporting, using a survey project as an illustrative example. R provides especially useful tools to augment and streamline your ability to process and present survey data. We emphasize the use of some common R packages, custom reporting templates (in Word, pdf, and html), the development of a custom R graphics gallery, and third-party integrations that facilitate reporting, as avenues to streamline every major aspect of a typical evaluation project. We have found that in developing these tools we have been able to achieve a highly flexible reporting style, one that can meet the needs of a diverse range of clients while also readily incorporating guidance for changing norms in data visualization and accessibility in reporting. Moreover, by using templates and galleries we are finding that new R users, who may be initially intimidated by a code-based interface, can readily transition to R as a primary reporting tool.