R packages make it easier to write robust, reproducible code, and modern tools in R development like usethis make it easy to work with packages. When you write R packages, you also unlock a whole ecosystem of tools that will make it easier to test, document, and share your code. Despite these benefits, many believe package development is too advanced for them or that they have nothing to offer. A fundamental belief in Zen is that you are already complete, that you already have everything you need. I’ll talk about why your project is already an R package, why you’re already an R package developer, and why you already have the skills to walk the path of development.
Malcolm Barrett is Clinical Research Data Scientist at Teladoc Health, an epidemiologist, and an R developer. He is also an organizer for the Los Angeles R Users Group. Malcolm is the author of several R packages, including ggdag and precisely. Previousy, he was an intern at RStudio and spent two years of service in AmeriCorps. In 2013 and 2014, while serving in AmeriCorps, Malcolm lived in the Zen Center of New York City, where he is still a student.