fivethirtyeight Package

Albert Y. Kim, Chester Ismay, and Jennifer Chunn

2021-10-05

Source: vignettes/fivethirtyeight.Rmd

Acknowledgment

We are aware of this tweet by Mona Chalabi. Although, we have not yet decided the future of the fivethirtyeight package (and subsequently, the fivethirtyeightdata package), we re-iterate that this package is not officially published by 538.

Note on large datasets

There are 128 datasets included in the fivethirtyeight package. However, there are also 19 datasets that could not be included in fivethirtyeight due to CRAN package size restrictions:

##  [1] "castle_solutions"           "castle_solutions_2"        
##  [3] "castle_solutions_3"         "comic_characters"          
##  [5] "goose"                      "house_district_forecast"   
##  [7] "mayweather_mcgregor_tweets" "mlb_elo"                   
##  [9] "nba_all_elo"                "nba_carmelo"               
## [11] "nba_elo"                    "nfl_elo"                   
## [13] "quasi_winshares"            "raptor_by_player"          
## [15] "raptor_by_team"             "ratings"                   
## [17] "senators"                   "spi_matches"               
## [19] "twitter_presidents"

These 19 datasets are included in the fivethirtyeightdata add-on package1, which you can install by running:

install.packages('fivethirtyeightdata', repos = 'https://fivethirtyeightdata.github.io/drat/', type = 'source')

So for example, to load the senators dataset, run:

library(fivethirtyeight)
library(fivethirtyeightdata)
senators

All datasets

All 128 + 19 = 147 datasets between the fivethirtyeight and fivethirtyeightdata packages are listed here.

Data Frame Name In fivethirtyeightdata? Article Title URL Author 1 Author 2 Author 3 Date Filed Under
US_births_1994_2003 Some People Are Too Superstitious To Have A Baby On Friday The 13th http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/some-people-are-too-superstitious-to-have-a-baby-on-friday-the-13th/ Carl Bialik 2016-05-13 Parenting
US_births_2000_2014 Some People Are Too Superstitious To Have A Baby On Friday The 13th http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/some-people-are-too-superstitious-to-have-a-baby-on-friday-the-13th/ Carl Bialik 2016-05-13 Parenting
ahca_polls Why The GOP Is So Hell-Bent On Passing An Unpopular Health Care Bill https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-the-gop-is-so-hell-bent-on-passing-an-unpopular-health-care-bill Perry Bacon Jr. 2017-06-15 Health Care
airline_safety Should Travelers Avoid Flying Airlines That Have Had Crashes in the Past? http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/should-travelers-avoid-flying-airlines-that-have-had-crashes-in-the-past/ Nate Silver 2014-07-18 Airline Safety
antiquities_act Trump Might Be The First President To Scrap A National Monument https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-might-be-the-first-president-to-scrap-a-national-monument/ Ella Koeze 2017-04-27 Trump Administration
august_senate_polls How Much Trouble Is Ted Cruz Really In? https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-much-trouble-is-ted-cruz-really-in/ Dhrimil Mehta Janie Velencia 2018-08-31 Pollapalooza
avengers Joining The Avengers Is As Deadly As Jumping Off A Four-Story Building http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/avengers-death-comics-age-of-ultron/ Walt Hickey 2015-05-12 Movies
bachelorette How To Spot A Front-Runner On The ‘Bachelor’ Or ‘Bachelorette’ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-bachelorette/ Ella Koeze Walt Hickey 2017-05-22 TV
bad_drivers Dear Mona, Which State Has The Worst Drivers? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/which-state-has-the-worst-drivers/ Mona Chalabi 2014-10-24 Hope the Numbers Help
bechdel The Dollar-And-Cents Case Against Hollywood’s Exclusion of Women http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-dollar-and-cents-case-against-hollywoods-exclusion-of-women/ Walt Hickey 2014-04-01 Movies
biopics Straight Outta Compton Is The Rare Biopic Not About White Dudes http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/straight-outta-compton-is-the-rare-biopic-not-about-white-dudes/ Hannah Fingerhut 2015-08-14 Movies
bob_ross A Statistical Analysis of the Work of Bob Ross http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-statistical-analysis-of-the-work-of-bob-ross/ Walt Hickey 2014-04-14 Happy Spreadsheets
cabinet_turnover Two Years In, Turnover In Trump’s Cabinet Is Still Historically High https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/two-years-in-turnover-in-trumps-cabinet-is-still-historically-high/ Nathaniel Rakich 2019-01-08 Trump Cabinet
cand_events_20150114 Looking For Clues: Who Is Going To Run For President In 2016? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/2016-president-who-is-going-to-run/ Harry Enten 2015-01-14 The Visible Primary
cand_events_20150130 Who Will Run For President: Romney Is Out http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/romney-not-running-for-president/ Harry Enten 2015-01-30 The Visible Primary
cand_state_20150114 Looking For Clues: Who Is Going To Run For President In 2016? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/2016-president-who-is-going-to-run/ Harry Enten 2015-01-14 The Visible Primary
cand_state_20150130 Who Will Run For President: Romney Is Out http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/romney-not-running-for-president/ Harry Enten 2015-01-30 The Visible Primary
candy_rankings The Ultimate Halloween Candy Power Ranking http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-ultimate-halloween-candy-power-ranking/ Walt Hickey 2017-10-27 Halloween
castle_solutions Yes Can You Rule Riddler Nations? https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/can-you-rule-riddler-nation/ Oliver Roeder 2017-02-03 The Riddler
castle_solutions_2 Yes The Battle For Riddler Nation, Round 2 https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-battle-for-riddler-nation-round-2/ Oliver Roeder 2017-05-19 The Riddler
castle_solutions_3 Yes Riddler Nation - Castles Puzzle Final https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/are-you-the-best-warlord/ Oliver Roeder 2019-05-03 The Riddler
chess_transfers American Chess Is Great Again https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/american-chess-is-great-again/ Oliver Roeder 2017-08-08 Chess
classic_rock_raw_data Why Classic Rock Isn’t What It Used To Be http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-classic-rock-isnt-what-it-used-to-be/ Walt Hickey 2014-07-07 Music
classic_rock_song_list Why Classic Rock Isn’t What It Used To Be http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-classic-rock-isnt-what-it-used-to-be/ Walt Hickey 2014-07-07 Music
college_all_ages The Economic Guide To Picking A College Major http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-economic-guide-to-picking-a-college-major/ Ben Casselman 2014-09-12
college_grad_students The Economic Guide To Picking A College Major http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-economic-guide-to-picking-a-college-major/ Ben Casselman 2014-09-12
college_recent_grads The Economic Guide To Picking A College Major http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-economic-guide-to-picking-a-college-major/ Ben Casselman 2014-09-12
comic_characters Yes Comic Books Are Still Made By Men, For Men And About Men http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/women-in-comic-books/ Walt Hickey 2014-10-13 Comic Books
comma_survey Elitist, Superfluous, Or Popular? We Polled Americans on the Oxford Comma http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/elitist-superfluous-or-popular-we-polled-americans-on-the-oxford-comma/ Walt Hickey 2014-06-17
congress_age Both Republicans And Democrats Have an Age Problem http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/both-republicans-and-democrats-have-an-age-problem/ Nate Silver Dhrumil Mehta 2014-04-28 Age
cousin_marriage How Many Americans Are Married To Their Cousins? https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-many-americans-are-married-to-their-cousins/ Mona Chalabi 2015-05-15 Dear Mona
daily_show_guests Every Guest Jon Stewart Ever Had On ‘The Daily Show’ http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/every-guest-jon-stewart-ever-had-on-the-daily-show/ Walt Hickey 2015-08-06 TV
dem_candidates We Researched Hundreds Of Races. Here’s Who Democrats Are Nominating https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/democrats-primaries-candidates-demographics/ Meredith Conroy Mai Nguyen Nathaniel Rakich 2018-08-10 2018 Election
democratic_bench Some Democrats Who Could Step Up If Hillary Isn’t Ready For Hillary http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/some-democrats-who-could-step-up-if-hillary-isnt-ready-for-hillary/ Harry Enten 2015-03-27 2016 Election
drinks Dear Mona Followup: Where Do People Drink The Most Beer, Wine And Spirits? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/dear-mona-followup-where-do-people-drink-the-most-beer-wine-and-spirits/ Mona Chalabi 2014-08-13 Drinks
drug_use How Baby Boomers Get High http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/how-baby-boomers-get-high/ Anna Maria Barry-Jester Andrew Flowers 2015-04-23 Public Health
elasticity_by_district Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/election-update-the-house-districts-that-swing-the-most-and-least-with-the-national-mood/ Nathaniel Rakich Nate Silver NA 2018 Election
elasticity_by_state Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/election-update-the-house-districts-that-swing-the-most-and-least-with-the-national-mood/ Nathaniel Rakich Nate Silver NA 2018 Election
elo_blatter Blatter’s Reign At FIFA Hasn’t Helped Soccer’s Poor http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/blatters-reign-at-fifa-hasnt-helped-soccers-poor/ Nate Silver 2015-06-09 World Soccer
endorsements Pols And Polls Say The Same Thing: Jeb Bush Is A Weak Front-Runner http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pols-and-polls-say-the-same-thing-jeb-bush-is-a-weak-front-runner/ Harry Enten 2015-06-15 2016 Kickoff
endorsements_2020 The 2020 Endorsement Primary https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-endorsements/democratic-primary/ Aarom Bycoffe Rachael Dottle Dustin Dienhart and Derek Shan 2019-05-29
fandango Be Suspicious Of Online Movie Ratings, Especially Fandango’s http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/fandango-movies-ratings/ Walt Hickey 2015-10-15 Movies
fifa_audience How To Break FIFA http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-to-break-fifa/ Nate Silver 2015-05-28 The Beautiful Game
fight_songs Our Guide To The Exuberant Nonsense Of College Fight Songs https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/college-fight-song-lyrics/ 2019-08-30
flying 41 Percent Of Fliers Think You’re Rude If You Recline Your Seat http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/airplane-etiquette-recline-seat/ Walt Hickey 2014-09-06
food_world_cup The FiveThirtyEight International Food Association’s 2014 World Cup http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-fivethirtyeight-international-food-associations-2014-world-cup/ Nate Silver Walt Hickey 2014-06-25 FiveThirtyAte
forecast_results_2018 How FiveThirtyEight’s 2018 Midterm Forecasts Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-fivethirtyeights-2018-midterm-forecasts-did/ Nate Silver 2018-12-04 2018 Election
foul_balls We Watched 906 Foul Balls To Find Out Where The Most Dangerous Ones https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/we-watched-906-foul-balls-to-find-out-where-the-most-dangerous-ones-land/ Annette Choi 2019-07-15 MLB
generic_polllist Are Democrats Winning The Race For Congress? https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-generic-ballot-polls/ Aaron Bycoffe Dhrumil Mehta Nate Silver NA
generic_topline Are Democrats Winning The Race For Congress? https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-generic-ballot-polls/ Aaron Bycoffe Dhrumil Mehta Nate Silver NA
google_trends The Media Really Started Paying Attention to Puerto Rico When Trump Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/ Dhrumil Mehta 2017-10-12 Puerto Rico
goose Yes The Save Ruined Relief Pitching. The Goose Egg Can Fix It. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/goose-egg-new-save-stat-relief-pitchers/ Nate Silver NA MLB
governor_national_forecast How FiveThirtyEight’s 2018 Midterm Forecasts Did https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-midterm-election-forecast/governor/ Nate Silver 2018-11-06 2018 Election
governor_state_forecast How FiveThirtyEight’s 2018 Midterm Forecasts Did https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-midterm-election-forecast/governor/ Nate Silver 2018-11-06 2018 Election
hate_crimes Higher Rates Of Hate Crimes Are Tied To Income Inequality https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/higher-rates-of-hate-crimes-are-tied-to-income-inequality/ Maimuna Majumder 2017-01-23 Hate Crimes
hiphop_cand_lyrics Every mention of the 2016 primary candidates in hip-hop songs https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/clinton-trump-hip-hop-lyrics/ Allison McCann 2016-07-14
hist_ncaa_bball_casts The NCAA Bracket: Checking Our Work http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-ncaa-bracket-checking-our-work/ Nate Silver 2014-03-27 March Madness
hist_senate_preds How The FiveThirtyEight Senate Forecast Model Works http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-the-fivethirtyeight-senate-forecast-model-works/ Nate Silver 2014-09-17 2014 Midterms
house_district_forecast Yes Forecasting the race for the House https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-midterm-election-forecast/house/ Nate Silver 2018-11-06 2018 Election
house_national_forecast Forecasting the race for the House https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-midterm-election-forecast/house/ Nate Silver 2018-11-06 2018 Election
impeachment_polls Did Americans Support Removing Trump From Office? https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/impeachment-polls/ Aaron Bycoffe Ella Koeze Nathaniel Rakich 2020-02-12
librarians Where Are America’s Librarians? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/where-are-americas-librarians/ Mona Chalabi Andrew Flowers 2014-04-11 Jobs
love_actually_adj The Definitive Analysis Of ‘Love Actually,’ The Greatest Christmas Movie Of Our Time http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-definitive-analysis-of-love-actually-the-greatest-christmas-movie-of-our-time/ Walt Hickey Gus Wezerek 2016-12-22 Movies
love_actually_appearance The Definitive Analysis Of ‘Love Actually,’ The Greatest Christmas Movie Of Our Time http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-definitive-analysis-of-love-actually-the-greatest-christmas-movie-of-our-time/ Walt Hickey Gus Wezerek 2016-12-22 Movies
mad_men Mad Men Is Ending. What’s Next For The Cast? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/mad-men-is-ending-whats-next-for-the-cast/ Walt Hickey 2015-05-15 TV
male_flight_attend Dear Mona, How Many Flight Attendants Are Men? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/dear-mona-how-many-flight-attendants-are-men/ Mona Chalabi 2014-10-03 Hope the Numbers Help
masculinity_survey What Do Men Think It Means To Be A Man? https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-do-men-think-it-means-to-be-a-man Ella Koeze Anna Maria Barry-Jester 2018-06-20 Gender
mayweather_mcgregor_tweets Yes The Mayweather-McGregor Fight As Told Through Emojis https://fivethirtyeight.com/?post_type=fte_features&p=161615 Dhrumil Mehta Oliver Roeder Rachel Dottle 2017-08-30 Mayweather vs. McGregor
media_mentions_cable Beto O’Rourke Ignored Cable News - And It Ignored Him https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/beto-orourke-ignored-cable-news-and-it-ignored-him/ Dhrumil Mehta 2019-05-20 2020 Election
media_mentions_online Beto O’Rourke Ignored Cable News - And It Ignored Him https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/beto-orourke-ignored-cable-news-and-it-ignored-him/ Dhrumil Mehta 2019-05-20 2020 Election
mediacloud_hurricanes The Media Really Started Paying Attention to Puerto Rico When Trump Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/ Dhrumil Mehta 2017-10-12 Puerto Rico
mediacloud_online_news The Media Really Started Paying Attention to Puerto Rico When Trump Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/ Dhrumil Mehta 2017-10-12 Puerto Rico
mediacloud_states The Media Really Started Paying Attention to Puerto Rico When Trump Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/ Dhrumil Mehta 2017-10-12 Puerto Rico
mediacloud_trump The Media Really Started Paying Attention to Puerto Rico When Trump Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/ Dhrumil Mehta 2017-10-12 Puerto Rico
mlb_as_play_talent The Best MLB All-Star Teams Ever http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-best-mlb-all-star-teams-ever/ Neil Paine 2015-07-18 Baseball
mlb_as_team_talent The Best MLB All-Star Teams Ever http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-best-mlb-all-star-teams-ever/ Neil Paine 2015-07-18 Baseball
mlb_elo Yes The Complete History Of MLB https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/complete-history-of-mlb/ Jay Boice Reuben Fischer-Baum 2017-11-02
mueller_approval_polls Both Parties Think The Mueller Report Was Fair. They Just Completely Disagree On What It Says. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/both-parties-think-the-mueller-report-was-fair-they-just-disagree-on-what-it-says/ Dhrumil Mehta NA Russia Investigation
murder_2015_final A Handful Of Cities Are Driving 2016’s Rise In Murder http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-handful-of-cities-are-driving-2016s-rise-in-murders/ Jeff Asher 2016-10-06 Crime
murder_2016_prelim A Handful Of Cities Are Driving 2016’s Rise In Murder http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-handful-of-cities-are-driving-2016s-rise-in-murders/ Jeff Asher 2016-10-06 Crime
nba_all_elo Yes The Complete History Of The NBA https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/complete-history-of-the-nba/#raptors 2020-03-12
nba_carmelo Yes The Complete History Of The NBA https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/complete-history-of-the-nba/#warriors Reuben Fischer-Baum Nate Silver NA
nba_draft_2015 Projecting The Top 50 Players In The 2015 NBA Draft Class http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/projecting-the-top-50-players-in-the-2015-nba-draft-class/ Neil Paine Zach Bradshaw 2015-06-19 Basketball
nba_draymond A Better Way to Evaluate NBA Defense https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-better-way-to-evaluate-nba-defense/ Nate Silver 2019-07-09 NBA
nba_elo Yes The Complete History Of The NBA https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/complete-history-of-the-nba/#raptors 2020-03-12
nba_elo_latest The Complete History Of The NBA https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/complete-history-of-the-nba/#raptors 2020-03-12
nba_tattoos Accurately Counting NBA Tattoos Isn’t Easy, Even If You’re Up Close http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/accurately-counting-nba-tattoos-isnt-easy-even-if-youre-up-close/ Mike Wilson 2014-06-07
ncaa_w_bball_tourney The Rise And Fall of Women’s College Basketball Dynasties https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/louisiana-tech-was-the-uconn-of-the-80s/ Neil Paine Sara Ziegler 2019-03-06 College Basketball
nfl_elo Yes 2017 NFL Predictions https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2017-nfl-predictions/ Jay Boice Nate Silver Gus Wezerek NA
nfl_elo Yes The Complete History of the NFL https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/complete-history-of-the-nfl/ Reuben Fischer-Baum Nate Silver Jay Boice, Matthew Conlen NA
nfl_fandom_google How Every NFL Team’s Fans Lean Politically https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-every-nfl-teams-fans-lean-politically Neil Paine Harry Enten Andrea Jones-Rooy 2017-09-29 NFL
nfl_fandom_surveymonkey How Every NFL Team’s Fans Lean Politically https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-every-nfl-teams-fans-lean-politically Neil Paine Harry Enten Andrea Jones-Rooy 2017-09-29 NFL
nfl_fav_team The Rams Are Dead To Me, So I Answered 3,352 Questions To Find A New NFL Team http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-rams-are-dead-to-me-so-i-answered-3352-questions-to-find-a-new-team/ Blythe Terrell 2016-09-08 NFL
nfl_suspensions The NFL’s Uneven History Of Punishing Domestic Violence http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nfl-domestic-violence-policy-suspensions/ Allison McCann 2014-08-28 Suspensions
nfltix_div_avgprice Who Goes To Meaningless NFL Games And Why? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/who-goes-to-meaningless-nfl-games-and-why/ Walt Hickey 2014-12-30 Bar Fights With Walt
nfltix_usa_avg Who Goes To Meaningless NFL Games And Why? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/who-goes-to-meaningless-nfl-games-and-why/ Walt Hickey 2014-12-30 Bar Fights With Walt
nflwr_aging_curve The Football Hall Of Fame Has A Receiver Problem http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-football-hall-of-fame-has-a-receiver-problem/ Neil Paine 2014-08-04 Canton
nflwr_hist The Football Hall Of Fame Has A Receiver Problem http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-football-hall-of-fame-has-a-receiver-problem/ Neil Paine 2014-08-04 Canton
nutrition_pvalues You Can’t Trust What You Read About Nutrition http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/you-cant-trust-what-you-read-about-nutrition Christie Aschwanden 2016-01-06 Nutrition
partisan_lean_district FiveThirtyEight’s Partisan Lean NA NA
partisan_lean_state FiveThirtyEight’s Partisan Lean NA NA
police_deaths The Dallas Shooting Was Among The Deadliest For Police In U.S. History https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-dallas-shooting-was-among-the-deadliest-for-police-in-u-s-history/ Carl Bialik Ritchie King Andrew Flowers 2016-07-08 Law Enforcement
police_killings Where Police Have Killed Americans In 2015 http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/where-police-have-killed-americans-in-2015 Ben Casselman 2015-06-03 Police Killings
police_locals Most Police Don’t Live In The Cities They Serve http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/most-police-dont-live-in-the-cities-they-serve/ Nate Silver 2014-08-20 Ferguson
pres_2016_trail The Last 10 Weeks Of 2016 Campaign Stops In One Handy Gif https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-last-10-weeks-of-2016-campaign-stops-in-one-handy-gif/ Matthew Conlen 2016-12-16 2016 Election
pres_commencement Sitting Presidents Give Way More Commencement Speeches Than They Used To http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/sitting-presidents-give-way-more-commencement-speeches-than-they-used-to/ Carl Bialik 2016-05-11 Higher Education
pulitzer Do Pulitzers Help Newspapers Keep Readers? http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/do-pulitzers-help-newspapers-keep-readers/ Nate Silver 2014-04-15 Awards
quasi_winshares Yes The Twins’ Magical Run Will Likely Go Through The Yankees. (Because Of Course.) https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-yankees-always-have-the-twins-number-will-this-postseason-be-different/ Neil Paine 2019-09-27 MLB
raptor_by_player Yes Introducing RAPTOR, Our New Metric For The Modern NBA https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/introducing-raptor-our-new-metric-for-the-modern-nba/ Nate Silver 2019-10-10 NBA
raptor_by_team Yes Introducing RAPTOR, Our New Metric For The Modern NBA https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/introducing-raptor-our-new-metric-for-the-modern-nba/ Nate Silver 2019-10-10 NBA
ratings Yes Al Gore’s New Movie Exposes The Big Flaw In Online Movie Ratings https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/al-gores-new-movie-exposes-the-big-flaw-in-online-movie-ratings/ Dhrumil Mehta Walt Hickey 2017-09-07 Movies
riddler_castles Can You Rule Riddler Nation? https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/can-you-rule-riddler-nation/ Oliver Roeder 2017-02-03 The Riddler
riddler_castles2 The Battle For Riddler Nation, Round 2 http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-battle-for-riddler-nation-round-2/ Oliver Roeder 2017-05-19 The Riddler
riddler_pick_lowest Pick A Number, Any Number https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pick-a-number-any-number/ Oliver Roeder 2017-07-28 The Riddler
russia_investigation Is The Russia Investigation Really Another Watergate? https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/russia-investigation/ Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux Julia Wolfe 2019-03-22
san_andreas The Rock Isn’t Alone: Lots Of People Are Worried About ‘The Big One’ http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-rock-isnt-alone-lots-of-people-are-worried-about-the-big-one/ Walt Hickey 2015-06-02 Movies
sandy_311 The (Very) Long Tail Of Hurricane Recovery https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/sandy-311/ Julia Wolfe Oliver Roeder NA
senate_national_forecast Senate forecasts https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-midterm-election-forecast/senate/ 2018-11-06
senate_polls Early Senate Polls Have Plenty to Tell Us About November http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/early-senate-polls-have-plenty-to-tell-us-about-november/ Harry Enten 2014-04-16 2014 Midterms
senate_seat_forecast Senate forecasts https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-midterm-election-forecast/senate/ 2018-11-06
senators Yes The Worst Tweeter In Politics Isn’t Trump https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-worst-tweeter-in-politics-isnt-trump/ Oliver Roeder Dhrumil Mehta Gus Wezerek 2017-10-24 The Trump Administration
spi_global_rankings Global Club Soccer Rankings https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/global-club-soccer-rankings/ Jay Boice Reuben Fischer-Baum Julia Wolfe 2017-12-31
spi_matches Yes Club Soccer Predictions https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/ Jay Boice Reuben Fischer-Baum Julia Wolfe 2017-12-31
state_index What America’s Governors Are Talking About https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-americas-governors-are-talking-about/ Nathaniel Rakich Dhrumil Mehta 2019-06-13 Governors
state_info NA NA NA
state_words What America’s Governors Are Talking About https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-americas-governors-are-talking-about/ Nathaniel Rakich Dhrumil Mehta 2019-06-13 Governors
steak_survey How Americans Like Their Steak http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/how-americans-like-their-steak/ Walt Hickey 2014-05-16 FiveThirtyAte
tarantino A Complete Catalog Of Every Time Someone Cursed Or Bled Out In A Quentin Tarantino Movie http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/complete-catalog-curses-deaths-quentin-tarantino-films/ Oliver Roeder 2015-12-09 Word Count
tennis_events_time Why Some Tennis Matches Take Forever http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-some-tennis-matches-take-forever/ Carl Bialik 2015-06-06 Tick Tock
tennis_players_time Why Some Tennis Matches Take Forever http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-some-tennis-matches-take-forever/ Carl Bialik 2015-06-06 Tick Tock
tennis_serve_time Why Some Tennis Matches Take Forever http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-some-tennis-matches-take-forever/ Carl Bialik 2015-06-06 Tick Tock
tenth_circuit For A Trump Nominee, Neil Gorsuch’s Record Is Surprisingly Moderate On Immigration https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/for-a-trump-nominee-neil-gorsuchs-record-is-surprisingly-moderate-on-immigration/?ex_cid=538twitter Kevin Cope Joshua Fischman 2017-03-27 Supreme Court
trump_approval_poll How Popular is Donald Trump https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/ Aaron Bycoffe Dhrumil Mehta Nate Silver NA
trump_approval_trend How Popular is Donald Trump https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/ Aaron Bycoffe Dhrumil Mehta Nate Silver NA
trump_lawsuits MANY NA NA
trump_news How Trump Hacked The Media http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-donald-trump-hacked-the-media/ Nate Silver 2016-03-30 2016 Election
trump_twitter The World’s Favorite Donald Trump Tweets https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-worlds-favorite-donald-trump-tweets/ Leah Libresco 2016-06-21 2016 Election
trumpworld_issues What the World Thinks of Trump https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-the-world-thinks-of-trump/ Gus Wezerek Andrea Jones-Rooy 2017-09-18 The Trump Administration
trumpworld_polls What the World Thinks of Trump https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-the-world-thinks-of-trump/ Gus Wezerek Andrea Jones-Rooy 2017-09-18 The Trump Administration
tv_hurricanes The Media Really Started Paying Attention to Puerto Rico When Trump Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/ Dhrumil Mehta 2017-10-12 Puerto Rico
tv_hurricanes_by_network The Media Really Started Paying Attention to Puerto Rico When Trump Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/ Dhrumil Mehta 2017-10-12 Puerto Rico
tv_states The Media Really Started Paying Attention to Puerto Rico When Trump Did https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/ Dhrumil Mehta 2017-10-12 Puerto Rico
twitter_presidents Yes The Worst Tweeter In Politics Isn’t Trump https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-worst-tweeter-in-politics-isnt-trump/ Oliver Roeder Dhrumil Mehta Gus Wezerek 2017-10-24 The Trump Administration
undefeated Mayweather Is Defined By The Zero Next To His Name https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/mayweather-is-defined-by-the-zero-next-to-his-name/ Oliver Roeder Brin-Jonathan Butler 2017-08-18 Mayweather vs. McGregor
unisex_names The Most Common Unisex Names In America: Is Yours One Of Them? http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/there-are-922-unisex-names-in-america-is-yours-one-of-them/ Andrew Flowers 2015-06-10
weather_check Where People Go To Check The Weather http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/weather-forecast-news-app-habits/ Walt Hickey 2015-04-20 Weather
wwc_2019_forecasts 2019 Women’s World Cup Predictions https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2019-womens-world-cup-predictions/ 2019-07-07
wwc_2019_matches 2019 Women’s World Cup Predictions https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2019-womens-world-cup-predictions/ 2019-07-07

Motivation

The motivation for creating this package is articulated in The fivethirtyeight R Package: “Tame Data” Principles for Introductory Statistics and Data Science Courses by Kim, Ismay, and Chunn (2018) published in Volume 11, Issue 1 of the journal “Technology Innovations in Statistics Education”. Here is an executive summary.

We are involved in statistics and data science education, in particular at the introductory undergraduate level. As such, we are always looking for data sets that balance being:

  1. Rich enough to answer meaningful questions with, real enough to ensure that there is context, and realistic enough to convey to students that data as it exists “in the wild” often needs processing.
  2. Easily and quickly accessible to novices, so that we minimize the prerequisites to research.

It has been our experience that many data sets that exist in R packages, such as the nycflights13, babynames, and gapminder packages, are of great pedagogical value as they:

  • Satisfy the above two goals.
  • Are in standardized format as they fit into the tidy tools ecosystem.
  • Are really fun to play with!

It is along these lines that we present fivethirtyeight: an R package of data and code behind the stories and interactives at FiveThirtyEight.com, a data-driven journalism website founded by Nate Silver and owned by ESPN. FiveThirtyEight has been very forward thinking in making the data used in many of their articles open and accessible on GitHub, a web-based repository for collaboration on code and data.

With consultation from Andrew Flowers and Andrei Scheinkman of FiveThirtyEight, we go one step further by:

  1. Doing just enough pre-processing (i.e. data “taming”) so that statistics and data science novices can sink their teeth into the data right away.
  2. Packaging it all in an easy to load format: package installation instead of working with CSV files.
  3. Providing easily accessible documentation: The help file for each data set includes a thorough description of the observational unit and all variables, a link to the original article, and (if listed) the data sources.

“Tame” data principles

In order to make the data easily accessible to R novices, we pre-process the original data sets as they exist in the 538 GitHub repository to adhere to the following “tame” data guidelines:

  1. Naming conventions for data frame and variable names:
    1. Whenever possible, all names should be no more than 20 characters long. Exceptions to this rule exist when shortening the names to less than 20 characters would lead to a loss of information.
    2. Use only lower case characters and replace all spaces with underscores. This format is known as snake_case and is an alternative to camelCase, where successive words are delineated with upper case characters.
    3. In the case of variable (column) names within a data frame, use underscores instead of spaces.
  2. Variables identifying observational units:
    1. Any variables uniquely identifying each observational unit should be in the left-hand columns.
  3. Dates:
    1. If only a year variable exists, then it should be represented as a numerical variable.
    2. If there are year and month variables, then convert them to Date objects as year-month-01. In other words, associate all observations from the same month to have a day of 01 so that a correct Date object can be assigned.
    3. If there are year, month, and day variables, then convert them to Date objects as year-month-day.
  4. Ordered Factors, Factors, Characters, and Logicals:
    1. Ordinal categorical variables are represented as ordered factors.
    2. Categorical variables with a fixed and known set of levels are represented as regular factors.
    3. Categorical variables whose possible levels are either unknown or of a very large number are represented as characters.
    4. Any “yes/no” character encoding of binary variables is converted to TRUE/FALSE logical variables.
  5. Tidy data format:
    1. Whenever possible, save all data frames in “tidy” data format as defined by Hadley Wickham:
      1. Each variable forms a column.
      2. Each observation forms a row.
      3. Each type of observational unit forms a table.
    2. If converting the raw data to “tidy” data format alters the dataset too much, then make the code to convert to tidy format easily accessible.

Note: The code used to pre-process the data can be found on the GitHub repository for the package in the process_data_sets.R files. These can serve as data manipulation/wrangling examples and exercises for more advanced students.

  1. The fivethirtyeightdata package is hosted via a drat repository↩︎