Statisticians in stained glass houses

Statistics and stained glass may seem an odd combination, but the windows of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, say otherwise. Anthony Edwards explains.     

Statisticians in European regulatory agencies

The UK body of statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry, PSI, has called on heads of European regulatory agencies responsible for assessing applications for marketing authorizations for new medicines in the EU to employ full time statisticians. In order to assess the present situation a survey has been conducted to identify the number of agencies employing one or more full time statisticians. Out of 29 responding agencies, 12 employed one or more statisticians on a full time basis, whereas 17 did not. Among these 17, 7 involved external experts on a regular basis, 5 involved external statisticians on a case‐by‐case basis, whereas 5 never involved external statistical expertise. Failure to involve statisticians in the assessment of efficacy and safety of medicines does not automatically lead to reports of low quality or invalid assessment of benefit‐risk. However, in depth knowledge of statistical methodology is often necessary to uncover weaknesses and potentially biased efficacy estimates. This might be of importance for the final opinion on granting a marketing authorization, and statistical review should therefore be conducted by those who are professionally expert in the area. A positive trend toward an increased involvement of statistical expertise in the European network of regulatory agencies is observed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Training of Statisticians

Harold Hotelling, Chairman of the Committee on the Teaching of Statistics* * Members of the Committee: Harold Hotelling, (Chairman), Professor of Mathematical Statistics and Associate Director, Institute of Statistics, University of North Carolina; Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Division of Statistical Standards, Bureau of the Budget, Washington, D. C.; Dr. Walter Bartky, Dean of Arts and Sciences. University of Chicago; Dr. Milton Friedman Associate Professor of Statistics, School of Business, University of Chicago; Dr. Paul G. Hoel, Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles. of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, has prepared this brief-summary of the Committee's report to the Board of Directors of IMS. Professor Hotelling will discuss the subject more fully in “Symposium on Probability and Statistics” to be published by the University of California Press. The Committee's report will be published in full in “The Annals of Mathematical Statistics”.

     

On the Classification of Statisticians

The Editors of The American Statistician feel that the present effort of the U. S. Civil Service Commission to classify statistical positions in the Federal Service is a matter of interest to the entire profession. Dr. Deming was invited to present his views on this subject since he has been particularly concerned with the problem of definition and classification.     

Preparing Statisticians for Careers in Industry: Report of the ASA Section on Statistical Education Committee on Training of Statisticians for Industry

This report provides guidelines for universities to consider in developing programs for training statisticians who will work in industry. Useful information for students who are considering industrial employment is also included. The recommended programs focus on real problems and the statistical theory and methodology that are useful in their solution. Technical competence is only one of many factors that industry considers when hiring and promoting statisticians. When a statistician leaves school, his or her skills and experiences should include statistical knowledge, practical problem solving, consulting practice, and the ability to communicate orally and in writing with nonstatisticians. There are many details that must be worked out (e.g., content of specific courses and organization of consulting internship programs), and it is hoped that the statistical societies and universities will form committees, hold conferences, and develop programs to address these issues further. Many of our recommendations apply more broadly to the training of all types of practicing statisticians.     

关于统计职业道德理论研究的若干思考

Two constructive points of views are proposed by the author on the study of professional ethics of statisticians : 1) Seeking truth should be taken as the core of ethics of statistics, which can cover all processes and aspects of statistical activities. 2) Study on professional ethics of statistics should be strengthened based on the reality of China while taking into consideration of international experiences. Outlining the immediate, mid-term and long-term objectives of professional ethics, the author emphasized systematic, stratified and realistic in-depth study on the issue.     

European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry's position on access to clinical trial data

The European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (EFSPI) believes access to clinical trial data should be implemented in a way that supports good research, avoids misuse of such data, lies within the scope of the original informed consent and fully protects patient confidentiality. In principle, EFSPI supports responsible data sharing. EFSPI acknowledges it is in the interest of patients that their data are handled in a strictly confidential manner to avoid misuse under all possible circumstances. It is also in the interest of the altruistic nature of patients participating in trials that such data will be used for further development of science as much as possible applying good statistical principles. This paper summarises EFSPI's position on access to clinical trial data. The position was developed during the European Medicines Agency (EMA) advisory process and before the draft EMA policy on publication and access to clinical trial data was released for consultation; however, the EFSPI's position remains unchanged following the release of the draft policy. Finally, EFSPI supports a need for further guidance to be provided on important technical aspects relating to re‐analyses and additional analyses of clinical trial data, for example, multiplicity, meta‐analysis, subgroup analyses and publication bias. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Key Role of Statisticians in the Transformation of North American Industry

The role of Wikipedia for learning has been debated because it does not conform to the usual standards. Despite this, people use it, due to the ubiquity of Wikipedia entries in the outcomes from popular search engines. It is important for academic disciplines, including statistics, to ensure they are correctly represented in a medium where anyone can assume the role of discipline expert. In this context, we first develop a tool for evaluating Wikipedia articles for topics with a procedural component. Then, using this tool, five Wikipedia articles on basic statistical concepts are critiqued from the point of view of a self-learner: “arithmetic mean,” “standard deviation,” “standard error,” “confidence interval,” and “histogram.” We find that the articles, in general, are poor, and some articles contain inaccuracies. We propose that Wikipedia be actively discouraged for self-learning (using, for example, a classroom activity) except to give a brief overview; that in more formal learning environments, teachers be explicit about not using Wikipedia as a learning resource for course content; and, because Wikipedia is used regardless of considered advice or the organizational protocols in place, teachers move away from minimal contact with Wikipedia towards more constructive engagement.     

纪念峨眉会议二十周年（笔谈）

编者按：１９７８年冬党的十一届三中全会的召开,使全国的各项工作发生了重大转折,也使统计工作、统计理论研究和教学工作发生了重大转折。就统计理论研究和教学工作来说,它的转折是在“统计教学、科研规划座谈会”（“峨眉会议”）上开始出现的。峨眉会议是国家统计局...     

全国青年统计科学讨论会纪要

国家统计局统计科学研究所与东北财经大学联合召开的全国青年统计科学讨论会,1987年9月20日至23日在辽宁省大连市举行,参加会议的54篇论文是从350多篇应征论文中筛选出来的,其中统计实际部门和统计教学、科研部门的论文各占一半。会议的中心议题是:(1)建立宏观经济监测和预警体系;(2)加强统计分析研究,提高服务质量。现将主要情况综述如下:     

第二届全国青年统计科学讨论会纪要

中国统计学会、国家统计局统计科学研究所和天津财经学院联合举办的第二届全国青年统计科学讨论会,1989年11月1日至11月3日在天津召开。会议着重讨论了以下两方面的问题:(1)宏观经济统计实证研究与统计分析方法问题;(2)基层企业统计问题。一、宏观经济统计实证研究与统计分析方法问题。     

Multiplicity: discussion points from the Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry multiplicity expert group

In May 2012, the Committee of Health and Medicinal Products issued a concept paper on the need to review the points to consider document on multiplicity issues in clinical trials. In preparation for the release of the updated guidance document, Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry held a one‐day expert group meeting in January 2013. Topics debated included multiplicity and the drug development process, the usefulness and limitations of newly developed strategies to deal with multiplicity, multiplicity issues arising from interim decisions and multiregional development, and the need for simultaneous confidence intervals (CIs) corresponding to multiple test procedures. A clear message from the meeting was that multiplicity adjustments need to be considered when the intention is to make a formal statement about efficacy or safety based on hypothesis tests. Statisticians have a key role when designing studies to assess what adjustment really means in the context of the research being conducted. More thought during the planning phase needs to be given to multiplicity adjustments for secondary endpoints given these are increasing in importance in differentiating products in the market place. No consensus was reached on the role of simultaneous CIs in the context of superiority trials. It was argued that unadjusted intervals should be employed as the primary purpose of the intervals is estimation, while the purpose of hypothesis testing is to formally establish an effect. The opposing view was that CIs should correspond to the test decision whenever possible. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Re-Defining the Who,When, and Where of Mentoring for Professional Statisticians

Organizations tailor their mentoring strategies to accommodate internal resources and preferences, producing different approaches in academic, government, and corporate environments. Across these settings, three common barriers impede effective mentoring of statisticians: overspecialization, time constraints, and geographic dispersion. The authors share mentoring strategies that have emerged at their organization, Mathematica Policy Research, to overcome these obstacles. Practices include creating a methodology working group to unite researchers with diverse backgrounds, integrating mentoring into existing workflows, and harnessing modern technological infrastructure to facilitate virtual mentoring. Although these strategies emerged within a specific professional context, they suggest opportunities for statisticians to expand the channels through which mentorship can occur.     

Theory & Methods: Why do we do it? Statisticians and the Practice of Statistics

There has been no work done on why statisticians have chosen their particular profession. With the increasing emphasis on the development of biotechnology, it seems important to encourage people to take up statistics and to offer the perspective that the study of statistics brings. This paper is an attempt to develop a preliminary understanding, by open-ended in-depth interviewing, of the personal backgrounds that have encouraged present practising statisticians to move into this field, and to see how they experience their work.