Milestone 2: Draft Analysis

May 20, 2026

Milestone Details

Due: Wednesday, May 20 before class (Session 15) Submit: .R script or .qmd file + any output files, on Canvas Points: 15

Overview

The draft is a working checkpoint — it shows that you can import and clean your data, and that you’ve started exploring your research questions with visualizations. It does not need to be polished. Think of it as showing your work-in-progress so I can give you feedback before the final push.

What to submit

1. Working code

Your script or Quarto document should:

Import your dataset (using read_csv(), read_excel(), or similar)
Clean the data as needed (handle column types, missing value codes, variable names)
Tidy the data if necessary (pivot, separate, etc.)
Run without errors from a fresh R session

Test this before submitting

Restart R (Session → Restart R), then run your entire script from top to bottom. If it breaks, fix it before submitting.

2. At least 2 preliminary visualizations

Create at least 2 plots that start to address your research questions. These don’t need to be publication-ready — they’re exploratory. But they should:

Use appropriate geoms for the data type
Have labeled axes and a title
Show something meaningful (not just geom_point(aes(x, y)) with no context)

3. Bullet-point outline of findings

After your code, include a brief section (in comments or markdown) with:

What patterns or trends do you see so far?
Were there any surprises?
Did your research questions change based on what you found?

4. List of remaining tasks

What still needs to be done? Be specific:

Which visualizations do you still need to create?
What cleaning or tidying remains?
Are there any problems you’re stuck on?

This helps me give you targeted feedback.

How this will be graded

Component	Points
Working code (imports, cleans, runs without errors)	5
Preliminary visualizations (at least 2, appropriate choices)	5
Outline of findings (thoughtful, shows engagement with data)	3
Remaining tasks (specific, realistic plan for completion)	2
Total	15

This is a checkpoint, not a final product

I’m not expecting polish here. I’m looking for evidence that you’ve made real progress and have a clear path to the finish line. If you’re struggling, this is the time to ask for help — not Week 10.