Statistical Consulting

This book is intended for the statistician or student interested in becoming a statistical consultant, as well as clients who need to understand what is involved in the consulting process. It discusses different consulting environments, provides detailed descriptions of communication skills a consultant must possess, and provides concrete examples and case-studies of varying complexity. Emphasis is placed on the importance of engaging the client's understanding of the purpose and interpretation of statistical procedures.

Teaching of Statistics and Statistical Consulting is a collection of papers dealing with graduate programs in statistics; teaching service courses and short courses; and training statisticians for employment in industry and government. Some papers also deal with the role of statistical consulting in graduate training and teaching statistics at the Open University. One paper describes some observations made on graduate program in statistics, citing concerns of professionalism, competency, and a highly structured university curriculum. Another paper takes a task analysis approach to designing a regression analysis course where, with proper course structuring, students will actively learn to do the objectives of the course. Other papers discuss consulting and research work at the Australian Government's research organization, as well as how to prepare statisticians for future government service or for the private industry. One paper deals with some important things that a practicing statistician should know, but which are seldom taught in statistics courses. Another paper describes teaching statistics at a distance from the Open University in the United Kingdom. The collection can prove helpful for academic statisticians in educational institutions, to statisticians, or to mathematicians employed in the public or private sectors.

Dr. Janice Derr covers all aspects of statistical consulting. Using text and video, she integrates three themes that form the perspective of the book. First, a statistician should treat each client as a potential collaborator. Second, diversity must be appreciated. Students will see a variety of cultures, styles of communication and negotiation, and learning preferences in the book. Third, experienced statisticians and clients must work together in the process of training statistical consultants. On the CD-ROM, video segments bring the material to life and cover each aspect of statistical consulting by demonstrating good and bad techniques.

How do you bridge the gap between what you learned in your statistics course and the questions you want to answer in your real-world research? Oriented towards distinct questions in a "How do I?" or "When should I?" format, Your Statistical Consultant is the equivalent of the expert colleague down the hall who fields questions about describing, explaining, and making recommendations regarding thorny or confusing statistical issues. The book serves as a compendium of statistical knowledge, both theoretical and applied, that addresses the questions most frequently asked by students, researchers and instructors. Written to be responsive to a wide range of inquiries and levels of expertise, the book is flexibly organized so readers can either read it sequentially or turn directly to the sections that correspond to their concerns.

This book presents the human side of statistical consulting and illustrates the problems and opportunities that can arise for the modern consultant. Statistical problems occur in almost all areas of science, in medicine, in industry, in marketing, and in finance, and a wide range of interests is catered for by the twelve contributions to this unique volume. These contributions demonstrate that statistical consultancy provides a broad spectrum of intellectually stimulating problems, as well as being a vital tool in many aspects of modern life. The book will be valuable to university and college students of statistics and to all those who use statistical techniques in a consultancy environment of any kind.

"Rarely, but just often enough to rebuild hope, something happens to confound my pessimism about the recent unprecedented happenings in the world. This book is the most recent instance, and I think that all its readers will join me in rejoicing at the good it seeks to do. It is an example of the kind of international comity and collaboration that we could and should undertake to solve various societal problems. This book is a beautiful example of the power of the possible. [It] provides a blueprint for how the LISA 2020 model can be replicated in other fields. Civil engineers, or accountants, or nurses, or any other profession could follow this outline to share expertise and build capacity and promote progress in other countries. It also contains some tutorials for statistical literacy across several fields. The details would change, of course, but ideas are durable, and the generalizations seem pretty straightforward. This book shows every other profession where and how to stand in order to move the world. I urge every researcher to get a copy!" —David Banks from the Foreword Promoting Statistical Practice and Collaboration in Developing Countries provides new insights into the current issues and opportunities in international statistics education, statistical consulting, and collaboration, particularly in developing countries around the world. The book addresses the topics discussed in individual chapters from the perspectives of the historical context, the present state, and future directions of statistical training and practice, so that readers may fully understand the challenges and opportunities in the field of statistics and data science, especially in developing countries. Features • Reference point on statistical practice in developing countries for researchers, scholars, students, and practitioners • Comprehensive source of state-of-the-art knowledge on creating statistical collaboration laboratories within the field of data science and statistics • Collection of innovative statistical teaching and learning techniques in developing countries Each chapter consists of independent case study contributions on a particular theme that are developed with a common structure and format. The common goal across the chapters is to enhance the exchange of diverse educational and action-oriented information among our intended audiences, which include practitioners, researchers, students, and statistics educators in developing countries.