Explore data preparation techniques for analysis using R in this comprehensive conference talk from ODSC WEST 2015. Learn the fundamentals of data quality and how to automate routine steps in a principled manner. Discover common pitfalls in data preparation and how to detect and fix them through interactive demonstrations in the open-source R analysis environment. Download materials from the provided GitHub repository to follow along or practice later. Gain insights on handling faulty sensor situations, missing variables, novel categorical levels, and compact coding. Understand the importance of treatment plans, user interfaces, and operational issues in data preparation. Led by John Mount and Nina Zumel, experienced data scientists and authors, this talk covers essential topics such as linear regression, calibration, interpretation, and avoiding overfitting. Equip yourself with practical skills to improve your data science projects and increase their chances of success.