Syllabus

PM516A: Statistical Problem Solving
1 Unit
Monday 5:00-5:50pm SSB110

Course Overview

Course Description

This course serves as an introduction to biostatistical consulting, and will help statisticians and data analysts develop the necessary skills for successfully interacting with non-statistician collaborators. We will focus on two main goals: 1) developing qualities necessary for an effective statistical consultant and 2) working with an investigator on an actual analysis problem (determining research questions and scope, formulating and implementing our aalyses, and conveying our findings).

Learning Objectives

Through this course, students will become familiar with the process of statistical consulting. Students will:

• Understand the importance of statistical consulting and its usefulness in the public health environment.
• Apply techniques to improve their understanding of an unfamiliar topic and translate researchers' questions into a statistically testable set of hypotheses.
• Evaluate the best statistical approaches to address collaborators' questions and apply such techniques.
• Apply effective communication by clearly explaining statistical concepts.
• Understand ethical considerations faced by statisticians.
• Create analyses and results for dissemination to the client and other stakeholders.

Course Preparation

Prerequisites: PM510 or equivalent course (this course assumes familiarity with basic statistics and regression analysis)

Course Location

We have a reserved room for this course. However, due to the nature of statistical consulting with remote clients, a substantial component of the course will be held online. Please check course announcements for further information about our meeting location.

Course Requirements

Communication

All course materials will be available through this website. We will use USC e-mail for formal communication and Slack for informal collaborative communication. Because the class covers aspects of consulting, including face-to-face interactions, please practice having your webcam on during class.

Textbook

Cabrera J, McDougall A. Statistical Consulting. Springer Science & Business Media; 2002 Jan 2. (Textbook may be available through the USC libraries at libraries.usc.edu)

Required Software

Students must have proficiency in at least one statistical program, but may choose which to use for this course (e.g., R, SAS, Stata, SPSS).

Assessments

There are three broad categories of activites for this course:

• Skills development for consultants, which will prepare the student to interact with a client and improve the quality of their consultations.
• Skills development for presenting statistical results, which will improve the effectiveness of the statistician being able to communicate results to their client.
• Participation in a real consultation as a group with an investigator client at USC.

This course is graded credit/no credit and there is no point breakdown. Instead, students must complete all of the following:

Weekly Activities

Students will participate in weekly activities to improve their consulting and statistical analysis skills. In order to benefit from these activities, students must complete required pre-class preparation, which may include reading articles, excerpts from the textbook, or watching videos. Students will use the information from these pre-class preparation activities in the live session.

Investigator Meeting

Students will be meeting with a collaborator at USC (e.g., from Keck School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, etc.) and will work on a project as a group. Any meeting with the investigator is mandatory. Because this course teaches skills applicable in a consulting setting, students must be on time for the meeting and must be an alert, active participant with their camera on.

Final Presentation

The final day of class will involve a presentation to the client collaborator. Students will present in groups, and each student must contribute to the presentation. At the end of the meeting, there will be a brief period for the students and client to provide feedback on the experience.

Grading Breakdown

Assignment	Criteria
Weekly Activities	Actively participate in at least 10 sessions. Half-credit will be given if the student attends but does not actively participate. Students may make up for a missed class session via a written assignment.
Investigator Meeting	Actively participate in the preliminary investigator meeting.
Final Presentation	Substantially contribute to the final project, including presenting part of the final group presentation.

Classroom Norms

1. Take Charge of Your Learning - As a graduate-level course, this is an opportunity to deepen your expertise and develop new skills in your academic field. Your success depends on active engagement and responsibility in the learning process. Feel empowered to ask questions, seek clarification, and communicate barriers early with the instructor. Make use of all resources available to you, including office hours, peer support, and additional readings.
2. Be Present – This is a practice-based course, and active participation is key to your success as a consultant. “Being present” means not just physically attending class sessions, but fully engaging in every class session through focus, contribution to discussions, and participation in activities. Your active involvement during class time will deepen your understanding of the field and help you develop useful skills.
3. Practice Professionalism – In this course, you will engage with your fellow students, but also external collaborators who are professionals in the field. It is essential to conduct yourself with professionalism in all interactions with them and with your fellow classmates. This includes being punctual, communicating clearly and respectfully, and representing you and your program with integrity. Come to sessions prepared, showing respect for the time and expertise of others. The way you conduct yourself in these interactions will contribute to your growth and future success in the field.

Policy on the Use of AI Generators

The use of AI (e.g., ChatGPT) can sometimes be helpful when conducting statistical analysis and interpreting results. However, in my experience the use of AI has led to incorrect, misleading, or otherwise false results in a surprising number of cases. As such, I discourage the use of AI as the “final arbiter” of conducting and interpreting data analyses. Keep in mind the following: • You may use AI tools to help aggregate and/or explain ideas related to this course, and some assignments will ask you to use these tools to generate hypothetical scenarios for you to examine. • Only use these tools if you have sufficient training and experience in the methods you are asking AI tools to help you with. The output of such tools must be examined through a critical lens, and using such tools blindly can be dangerous. • Be mindful of when AI is most useful. Consider its appropriateness in each situation. • Do not assume the information provided by AI tools is accurate or trustworthy. In fact, assume all information is incorrect unless you can verify its accuracy with another source. You will be responsible for any errors or omissions provided by the tool. • If you use AI tools for any deliverable, you are expected to clearly attribute any material generated by the tool used.

Course Schedule

Weekly Content

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

Academic Conduct

Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part B, Section 11, “Behavior Violating University Standards” https://policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b/. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct.

Support Systems

Student Counseling Services (SCS) - (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention. https://engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255 Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) - (213) 740-4900 - 24/7 on call Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm. https://engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp/

Sexual Assault Resource Center For more information about how to get help or help a survivor, rights, reporting options, and additional resources, visit the website: http://sarc.usc.edu/

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)/Title IX compliance – (213) 740-5086 Works with faculty, staff, visitors, applicants, and students around issues of protected class. https://equity.usc.edu/

Bias Assessment Response and Support Incidents of bias, hate crimes and microaggressions need to be reported allowing for appropriate investigation and response. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support/

The Office of Disability Services and Programs Provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange relevant accommodations. http://dsp.usc.edu

Student Support and Advocacy – (213) 821-4710 Assists students and families in resolving complex issues adversely affecting their success as a student EX: personal, financial, and academic. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa/

Diversity at USC Information on events, programs and training, the Diversity Task Force (including representatives for each school), chronology, participation, and various resources for students. https://diversity.usc.edu/

USC Emergency Information Provides safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued if an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, http://emergency.usc.edu

USC Department of Public Safety – 213-740-4321 (UPC) and 323-442-1000 (HSC) for 24-hour emergency assistance or to report a crime Provides overall safety to USC community. http://dps.usc.edu