Importing Data
Understand how to import data from CSV, Excel, and other file formats into R.
Importing Data is a free R Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 1 of 3. Any 3 lessons of this learning path are free to read in full — after that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus hands-on practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the R Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The R Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.
Introduction to Importing Data in R
Importing data is the first step in any data analysis project. R allows you to import data from various sources such as CSV, Excel, and databases.
Importing CSV Files
CSV files are one of the most common formats for storing data. You can import them using the read.csv() function.
data <- read.csv('data.csv')Viewing Imported Data
Once you import data, you can inspect it using functions like head() and summary().
head(data)
summary(data)Importing Excel Files
To import Excel files, you need to use the readxl package.
install.packages('readxl')
library(readxl)
data <- read_excel('data.xlsx')Importing Data from Databases
R allows you to connect to databases using the DBI and RSQLite packages.
install.packages('DBI')
library(DBI)
con <- dbConnect(RSQLite::SQLite(), 'my_database.db')Importing JSON Data
JSON files can be imported using the jsonlite package.
install.packages('jsonlite')
library(jsonlite)
data <- fromJSON('data.json')Handling Missing Data
Missing values in imported data are represented as NA. You can check for missing values using is.na().
sum(is.na(data))Saving Data to CSV
You can save data frames to CSV using write.csv().
write.csv(data, 'output.csv')Summary
In this lesson, you learned:
- How to import data from CSV, Excel, JSON, and databases.
- How to inspect imported data.
- How to handle missing values.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the “Importing Data” lesson free?
Yes — any 3 lessons of the R Academy learning path, including “Importing Data”, are free to read in full here on the web. After that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus interactive practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. The R Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.
What will I learn in “Importing Data”?
Understand how to import data from CSV, Excel, and other file formats into R. You practise R Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start R Academy?
No prior experience is required. R Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 1 of 3.
How long does the “Importing Data” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this R Academy lesson?
Yes. Every R Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- Importing Data
- Data Cleaning Basics
- Combining and Reshaping Data