This template R project comprises several directories that you are likely to make use of. Each directory contains its own README file to explain what types of file should go in that directory. You can repurpose these README files to explain the contents of the directory.

Each README offers guidance on how to handle version control.

This template is organised as an R Project. Further details of the benefits of R projects can be found here

There are several options for using the template in your own project. We recommend one of the following:

1. Clone the directory with git clone https://github.com/ScotGovAnalysis/ORtemplateR.git a. then delete the .git folder and the LICENCE file. b. rename the .RProj file and the directory to the new name of your project c. to use git version control, reinitialise the repository using git init d. add suitable licence if making the repo public
2. Download a zip file from GitHub using the green "Code" button, and select "Download Zip". a. Unzip the folder. b. rename the .RProj file and the directory to the new name of your project c. to use git version control, reinitialise the repository using git init d. add suitable licence if making the repo public

• root/
  • analysis/ used for R scripts and Rmarkdown files that run the analysis
  • documentation/ documentation of purpose and ways of working
  • data/ data used by your project
    • processed/ for any files that are produced within the project
    • raw/ for any files that are used as input data only
  • outputs/ contains end products produced by the project
  • R/ functions (and potentially classes) used in the project
  • scratchpad/ for code that is rough work - not version controlled
  • tests/ code that tests the R code in your R/ folder

Use this file to detail the purpose of the project, basic installation instructions, and examples of usage.

Consider including:

• Short statement of intent
• Longer description describing the problem that your project solves and how it solves it
• Basic installation instructions or link to installation guide
• Example usage
• Links to other project guidance, for example methodological papers or document repositories (if not already in the /documentation directory)
• Links to related projects

Version control is the practice of tracking and managing changes to files. We recommend using Git for version control, and this template is set up accordingly. Guidance for using Git in Scottish Government and Git training resources can be found here

The .gitignore file sits in this root folder. Use it to control parts of the project that you don't want to include in Git version control, such as data (particularly sensitive data). The template is set up to ignore files in the data and outputs directory, except for the readme.