Week 4

Practice Consultations

This week you will conduct a simulated first consultation with staff of our consulting group. Your ability to ask clear, structured questions will directly influence the direction of the conversation.

By the end of this week, you will be able to:

1. Conduct a structured first consultation and ask clarifying questions about study design and feasibility.
2. Identify gaps in study planning that could compromise statistical validity.

Before Class

Techniques for Working with Clients

🎥 Biologist Talks to A Statistician (4 minutes)

➤ What specific communication behaviors would have improved this meeting?

🎥 Stereotypical Views of Statisticians (4 minutes)

➤ Do you think the statistician’s anecdote about her mistake was an effective way to communicate with the researcher? Why or why not?

In Class

In this week's class, we will perform practice consultations in groups. During the consultation, aim to clarify:

• Study objective
• Outcome definition
• Exposure definition
• Sample size
• Data collection process
• Timeline
• Feasibility constraints

Reflection

Which questions are you glad you asked today? What could have gone wrong if you hadn't asked those questions?