A workshop on Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), presented as part of the BIOS² training program, will be given by Pr. Eric Pedersen (Concordia University, a BIOS2 academic member) on November 2, 4 and 9, 2021 from 1:00 to 3:30 PM eastern time .
The workshop has already reached the maximum number of registrations. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to register.
To address the increase in both quantity and complexity of available data, ecologists require flexible, robust statistical models, as well as software to perform such analyses. This workshop will focus on how a single tool, the R mgcv package, can be used to fit Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) to data from a wide range of sources.
mgcv is one of the most popular packages for modelling non-linear relationships. However, many users do not know how versatile and powerful a tool it can be. This workshop will focus on teaching participants how to use mgcv in a wide variety of situations (including spatio-temporal, zero-inflated, heavy-tailed, time series, and survival data), how to evaluate and visualize fitted GAM models, and advanced use of mgcv (fitting smooth interactions, seasonal effects, spatial effects, Markov random fields, and varying-coefficient models).
The workshop will give participants an understanding of: (a) practical elements of smoothing theory, with a focus on why they would choose to use different types of smoothers (b) model checking and selection (c) the range of modelling possibilities using GAMs and mgcv.
Participants will be assumed to be familiar with the basics of R (loading/manipulating data, functions, and plotting) and estimating linear and generalized linear regression models in R (i.e. lm() and glm()).
The workshop will be taught in English via short presentations, live coding, and group exercises.
Pr. Pedersen is a quantitative ecologist with a particular interest in the complex systems that affect fish communities. He runs the Pedersen Quantitative Fisheries Ecology Lab at Concordia University and was previously working as a Research Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Registration here: https://forms.office.com/r/TDVBpp88ns
Places are limited.
Image source: Canva.com