Stable version:

RItools: Randomization Inference Tools

The RItools package implements useful functions for implementing randomization inference based statistical tests. The package provides tools for testing balance of observed covariates in observational studies using the methodology of:

Ben B. Hansen and Jake Bowers (2008). Covariate balance in simple,
  stratified and clustered comparative studies. Statistical Science.
  23(2):219--236.

See the online documentation for xBalance for more details.

The package also provides outcome analysis of simple or block randomized trials (or matched observational studies) based on user defined models and test statistics. See the online documentation of parameterizedRandomizationDistribution for more details.

RItools is available on CRAN:

> install.packages("RItools")
> library("RItools")

Using a development version of RItools

These directions will install development version in a way that will not overwrite an existing installation of RItools from CRAN. You will will need to know the name of the branch you wish to install.

1. master: The current released version of RItools and a holding place for small bug changes.
2. randomization-distribution: Experimental work on outcome analysis using user defined models of effects and test statistics. This branch contains the tools necessary to compute estimated treatment effects, p-values, and confidence intervals (regions) using direct simulation from the randomization distribution implied by the design of the experiment (or using the exact randomization distribution if the number of possible ways for the treatment to be assigned is relatively small).

We recommend using dev_mode from the devtools package to install in-development versions of the package so that you can keep the current CRAN version as the primary package. Activating dev_mode creates a secondary library of packages which can only be accessed while in dev_mode. Packages normally installed can still be used, but if different versions are installed normally and in dev_mode, the dev_mode version takes precedent if in dev_mode.

Install and load the devtools package:

> install.packages("devtools")
> library("devtools")

Activate dev_mode:

> dev_mode()
d>

Note that the prompt changes from > to d> to let you know you're in dev_mode. Now choose the development branch you want to use. To install master:

d> install_github("markmfredrickson/RItools")

or to install the randomization-distribution branch:

d> install_github("markmfredrickson/RItools@randomization-distribution")

Either way, the package is then loaded in the usual fashion, provided you're still in dev_mode:

d> library(RItools)

Once you've done this you can disable dev_mode as follows

d> dev_mode()
>

The development version of the package remains loaded.

Note that if you load the package -- ie, enter library(RItools) (when the package hasn't already been loaded otherwise) -- while not in dev_mode, then you'll get whatever version of the package may be installed in your library tree, not this development version.

If you want to switch between versions of RItools, we suggest re-starting R.