Visualizing Biological Data with ggplot2: 5 Easy Steps & Best Practices

This webinar will introduce you to the ggplot2 visualization package in R. This package enables users to make publications level visualizations of their results and data in an easy reproducible format. We will cover the basic principles of the ggplot2 package, best practices to create stunning visualizations, and how to customize your own themes.

Presented by Dillon Jones (@BiologistDillon)

Webinar recap page w/ handouts: learnadv.com/webinar/ggplot2-visualizing-data

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Hi! My name is Dillon Jones, professional biologist and science communicator. On my channel you can find wildlife conservation news, deep dives into science concepts, and tutorials for how to understand biological research. Subscribe if you want ecology, evolution, and conservation videos right in your feed!

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Chapter Markers:
0:00 Webinar Intro
1:00 What is ggplot2?
2:42 Loading the iris dataset
3:23 5 steps to plotting in ggplot2
3:35 Step 1: Loading the data
4:40 Step 2: Use aes to map variables
6:14 Step 3: Add geometric layers
7:21 Step 4: Customizing the design of ggplot
8:14 Step 5: Exporting our ggplots
9:10 How to use aes for advanced visualizations
11:32 Common mistakes with aes()
11:35 Common mistake #1: Specifying data OUTSIDE aes()
13:10 Common mistake #2: Specifying non-data INSIDE aes()
15:21 Dillon's rule of thumb for aes()
15:48 The different types of ggplot layers
18:29 How to design your ggplots
20:56 How to export your ggplots. 2 methods
22:32 exporting with ggsave
23:27 How to fix resolution issues with ggsave
27:33 5 Best Practices for ggplot2
34:42 Q+A Session