Lynley Aldridge

Biography

I am a PhD qualified social scientist, with a background in psychology and sociology. I love data analysis, visualization and interpretation, and have rich experience collecting, managing, analysing and reporting on both quantitative and qualitative data across a diverse range of research and evaluation projects (primarily in the fields of psycho-oncology and education). I am passionate about the use of data to inform policy and practice. I call myself an Antipodean, identifying as equal parts Kiwi (New Zealander) and Aussie (Australian).

Interests

Social and educational inequality
Youth transitions
Education
Cross-cultural comparative research
Migration/mobility
Mental health and well-being
Rstats

Education

PhD Sociology and Social Policy, 2017

University of Leeds, UK
MA Sociological Research, 2011

University of Essex, UK
BPsych (Hons), 2003

Charles Sturt University, Australia
Grad Dip Japanese, 1997

Hiroshima University, Japan
B Japanese, 1996

Wollongong University, Australia

Recent Posts

Visualizing Data using ggplot2 and ggflags

In this post I explore ways of using ggplot2 and ggflags to plot album sales and chart data from the Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Tidy Tuesday dataset (as shown here). I then create charts comparing sales in the UK and US specifically.

Last updated on Mon, Mar 1, 2021 10 min read

Visualizing Data using ggplot2 and ggflags

Tables with summary rows in gt

This post focuses on ways to customize summary rows in gt tables, to create the summary table shown here (based on the Tidy Tuesday Taylor Swift and Beyoncé data).

Last updated on Tue, Feb 23, 2021 11 min read

Summary tables using gt

In this post, I walk through the various steps involved in creating the summary table shown here (based on the Tidy Tuesday Taylor Swift data), showcasing various capabilities of the gt package.

Last updated on Tue, Feb 23, 2021 26 min read

More experimenting with SQL in R Markdown: Pivoting data, outputting results to R, and creating a summary table using gt

Following on from my previous post, I use SELECT and JOIN statements to pivot the Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Tidy Tuesday data using RSQLite (after normalizing the underlying database), output the results to R, and create a relatively simple summary table using gt.

Last updated on Tue, Feb 23, 2021 17 min read

Experimenting with SQL in RMarkdown: SELECT, UPDATE and JOIN queries using RSQLite

In this post I talk through, step-by-step, a process I’ve been using to document the SQL learning I’ve been doing using R Markdown. I draw on a tutorial by Andrew Couch to create a database I can manipulate using RSQLite, using a Tidy Tuesday dataset featuring Taylor Swift and Beyoncé album data.

Last updated on Sat, Jan 30, 2021 15 min read

See all posts

Projects

Analysing educational data using R: Work in progress

I am currently working on several projects in R using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data, plus various data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, to build my to build my skills and experience using R to visualize, analyse and report on educational data

The overseas working holiday and graduate employment trajectories: A cross-cultural comparison

My PhD dissertation explored how experiences of work and travel overseas were positioned by graduates and employers within two different country contexts, Britain and Japan.

Conceptualisation, assessment and interventions to alleviate suffering in the cancer context: A systematic literature review

In 2012 I project managed and contributed heavily to the preparation of a systematic literature review on the conceptualisation, assessment, and management of suffering across all types of cancer.