Statistical Consulting Center
The Statistical Consulting Center (SCC) is a campus-wide service center available to faculty, staff, and students seeking statistical advice during any stage of research, including planning, proposal writing, design, or analysis.
The faculty of the Statistical Consulting Center (SCC) view themselves as a professional service group whose charge is to offer statistical advice on the design and analysis of quantitative research projects. Quantitative research projects include observational studies, controlled experiments, and other projects in which quantitative data are collected. By providing a highly competent statistical staff accessible to all researchers in the University, the SCC is making an important contribution to the research activity of the University as a whole and is thereby helping to increase the quality and quantity of research done on campus.
The SCC service is designed to be a learning experience for the consultants and their clients. Every attempt is made to increase the understanding of problems and possible solutions by all parties involved. The SCC staff try to educate the clients during the various stages of the research, rather than do the work for the students and faculty. The SCC points out problems, tries to correct errors, suggests possible solutions, and assists in the analysis of the results. When differences of opinion arise with regard to a student's research, we have often found it helpful for members of the student's committee to attend SCC consultations with the student. Faculty members who have participated with students find the experience educational and informative. The SCC favors and encourages this type of joint participation with students and faculty. The SCC does not take the place of thesis or dissertation chairpersons or committees, nor does it dictate the statistical methods to be used. The ultimate decisions rest with the student and his/her committee or with the individual faculty member conducting the research project. However, faculty and students should not expect the SCC to assist them with an analysis that the SCC feels is inappropriate.
Since statistics are for the most part, meaningless under the circumstances of inappropriate design, the SCC places a heavy emphasis on research methodology and experimental design. One can best utilize the SCC by seeking advice during the planning stages of the research problem. Errors gone undetected at this stage may negate any help the SCC can provide to the researcher after the data have been collected. There are situations when the faculty and staff of the SCC may conclude, that due to problems in the experimental design, a particular research hypothesis cannot be adequately addressed in a meaningful statistical manner. Students and faculty should be aware of the SCC's position on this matter before data are brought in for analysis.
Getting Help
Faculty and Staff. General consultation is provided to faculty and staff (subject to availability) free of charge, however researchers routinely list consultants as co-authors on journal publications or paper presentations, and as co-PI's on research grants, as a reward for their service. Physical services such as database management, statistical programming, and data input are, in general, not provided by the SCC, unless the SCC has been budgeted into a research grant and has agreed to provide these services during the proposal stage of the research. To arrange a consultation, send a brief description of the research topic, as well as the scope and type of assistance anticipated, to scc@uncg.edu.
Students. Graduate students who wish to use the SCC must register for STA 667 during the semester in which they plan to use the center. They will then be entitled to one hour of consulting per week for that semester. Enrollment in STA 667 is by sections, corresponding to different faculty members involved in consulting during that semester. Students must obtain permission to enroll in a STA 667 section. If the student has a consultant preference, they should contact the consultant directly to obtain permission to enroll in that consultant's section. If the student does not have a consultant preference, the student should send a brief description of the research topic, as well as the scope and type of assistance anticipated, to scc@uncg.edu, and the student will be contacted by the most appropriate available consultant. Since individual faculty determine the student consulting load they wish to take on during a semester, availability is limited.
STA 667 is graded on an S/U basis. In general, to receive a S grade, the student must meet with his/her consultant during the semester. Students enrolled in STA 667 who fail to use the Center during the semester will receive a U grade. A student should drop STA 667 if he/she is unable to schedule at least one meeting with his/her consultant during the semester. Credit in STA 667 is not applicable to a graduate plan of study.
Summer. The SCC operates on a very limited basis during the summer. Faculty, staff, and students with large problems or complex analyses should seek assistance during the regular academic year.