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Outline content
for the workshop Bayesian analysis with JAGS and R |
During our Boot Camp in wildlife study design and data analysis,
we introduce the concepts underlying Bayesian approaches to data
analysis, and we run standard analyses with the The modelling language used by the JAGS package makes it easy to write code for quite complex models, as the code closely follows the mathematical expressions we use to define the model. JAGS does not have a stand-alone GUI, but is closely integrated with R statistical software. Basic R skills are needed for this workshop, and we ask applicants to complete an R Skills Review before confirming places. The workshop will focus on techniques used for terrestrial vertebrates; they can usually be modified for use with invertebrates or plants, or for aquatic systems, but our examples will be for terrestrial systems. Outline of contentWe'll begin with a review of probability and Bayes Rule, applying this to simple examples with just one or two parameters to estimate. This will be familiar to you if you have recently attended a Boot Camp, but we'll use different examples. Next we'll look at modern computer-intensive methods for analysis of models with more than one parameter to estimate:
Once everyone is familiar with the mechanics of running analyses in JAGS, we will tackle examples of wildlife-related problems with emphasis on model building:
Working through these examples will lead to discussion of detailed issues:
All participants should come with a laptop computer with recent versions of R and JAGS installed. They will be asked to complete an R Skills Review before the workshop. |
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Page updated 10 Jan 2020 by Mike Meredith |