<p>I am not sure I agree with the previous answers. Something like “How can I run a factor analysis in R?” would seem like something both would see outside the scope of this site but I am not convinced it should be.</p>

<p>While the question does not require much statistical expertise (the relevant decisions have apparently already been made), I don't see where else it could be answered in the StackExchange network (of course, you could also try with a mailing list, ask a friend or hire a consultant but that's true for virtually <em>any</em> question on this site).</p>

<p>Turning to the letter of the policy, the question is not about “an algorithm, routine data processing, or details of the language” so it's not clear that it should be migrated to StackOverflow. In computer science terms, it could be understood as a question about R's “API” but such questions seem uncommon on SO, at least when it comes to R. In any case, statisticians, not programmers, are most likely to know the answer.</p>

<p>Both the policy and practical experience therefore suggest that questions about running some analysis in R don't fit on StackOverflow. Consequently, the only choice left is to refuse to help people seeking this type of information and simply close the question but what do we gain by doing that? They seem perfectly answerable (they are not unclear or subjective), probably require less effort than the more challenging statistical questions and are not so numerous that they would create insurmountable practical problems, even accounting for the fact that answering them could in turn result in more and more similar questions being asked.</p>

<p>If we decide to be a little more accommodating when it comes to software-related question, they could become part of a useful knowledge base for anybody seeking to perform data analysis, along with more theoretical questions, suggestions on how to tackle new or unusual difficulties, questions about good practice in common situations, practical advice to beginning data analysts, literature recommendations and all the other type of questions asked on this site.</p>
