Missing data: A practical guide on handling it with R
Welcome
Statistics is a missing-data problem.
– Roderick J. A. Little
This book is intended as a practical guide for those involved in applied research. When navigating research projects, we often encounter missing data. During my master’s studies, I vividly remember being cautioned to be very careful with missing data. However, at the time, I found it unclear what steps to take when faced with missing data.
Over the years, I have learned through various resources how to handle missing data effectively. Among these, Stef van Buuren’s book, Flexible Imputation of Missing Data, has been particularly invaluable. I am truly grateful that he made the book freely available online, allowing countless researchers, including myself, to benefit from his expertise.
This book is my humble attempt not only to consolidate my understanding of this crucial topic but also to provide a practical guideline on how to handle missing data. My hope is that others will find this work beneficial. As mentioned in the hadith:
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my lovely wife, Nurul Asmaq, my parents, Tengku Mokhtar and Nor Malaysia, and my in-laws, Mazalan and Salmeh, for their unwavering understanding and support. Writing this book has meant sacrificing time I would otherwise spend with them. While they may not fully share my obsession with R and data analysis (especially my wife!), they have supported me at every step of this journey. Their patience and encouragement have been my anchor throughout this process.
To all readers, I sincerely hope that this book helps demystify the challenges of missing data and empowers you to approach your research with confidence.