Study Design and Data Collection Essentials

This webinar focuses on the first two crucial steps in a statistical investigation: 1) identify a question and 2) collect the right data to answer this question. You will learn about:

• observational studies and experiments
• scope of inference
• various sampling strategies and their benefits/drawbacks
• key parts of experimental design (randomization, replication, blocking)
• power and sample size calculations.

This is the 1st webinar in a 3-partseries focused on understanding your data. Upcoming workshops in this series:

• Jan 26, Exploratory Data Analysis
• Feb 2, Two group comparisons and ANOVA

Fundamentals of Statistics Series – Understanding Your Data

This webinar series was made possible via joint collaboration between Applied Statistics and Data Science Group and Graduate Pathways for Success Program, funded by the Graduate Pathways for Success Program. Alleviate your data stress! Join us for a webinar series on statistics foundational concepts!

Why attend?
Statistics is a scientific discipline that enables reaching meaningful conclusions from data, it is not just about numbers. To produce reliable results, you need to justify the choice of the applied statistical methods and models, as well as validate the underlying assumptions.

What to expect?
This webinar series provides introductions to the foundational concepts of statistical methodologies. We will provide practical insights by discussing different statistical methods, their appropriate application and how to correctly interpret the results including understanding the corresponding limitations. The aim is to equip you with a deeper understanding of the key concepts of statistical methodologies, rather than solving specific project problems. While R code for hands-on guidance may be provided, the emphasis of this series will be on the methodological aspects. Each webinar is a self-contained introduction to different statistical concepts, but as topics become increasingly complex with each consecutive webinar, some aspects will be built on concepts taught in the previous sessions. Hence, there is benefit in attending all the webinars.

ABOUT ASDA

The Applied Statistics and Data Science Group (ASDa) in the UBC Department of Statistics participates in collaborative research and provides statistical consulting services. ASDa expertise includes problem formulation, translation of research questions into testable statistical hypotheses, design of experiments and sampling plans for surveys, the choice and explanation of statistical methodology, statistical computing and graphics, the interpretation of findings and more. ASDa also plays an active role in continuing statistical education on and off the UBC campus, giving seminars, webinars, hands-on workshops and courses on statistical concepts and methodologies to various departments, research groups and at teaching hospitals. If you are a graduate student and have questions about your specific project, please see here for information on the SOS Program, and to book a one-hour free statistical consultation.

Facilitator

Biljana Jonoska Stojkova, PhD is a Senior Statistical Consultant with ASDa, participating in collaborative research, providing statistical consulting services and tailored education on statistical concepts and analytics tools on and off campus. Biljana is particularly passionate about developing statistical education and training programs for graduate and undergraduate students. She completed her PhD in Statistics at SFU in 2017, where she focused on developing Bayesian algorithms and methods for multi-modal posterior parameter distributions, which were applied to differential equation models, mixture Gaussian models, epidemiological and ecological models. In the previous roles she has gained experience with probabilistic models to determine different patterns of user behavior from chat messages, with development of relational databases and with machine learning algorithms such as supervised and unsupervised learning. In her consulting role Biljana continues to strengthen her skills in problem formulation, study design, grant proposal development, analysis and implementation, preparation of scientific manuscripts and continued education of non-statisticians on and off the UBC campus, giving webinars, workshops and courses on statistical concepts and methodology to various departments, research groups and at teaching hospitals.