Statistical Support

Statistical consulting is available for any phase of a research project, from study design and data collection to data analysis to communicating results.

We particularly encourage you to come discuss projects that are still in the development or design stage - no need to wait for data! Statistical guidance can often be most helpful before data collection begins.

Email Casey Pattanayak to schedule a consulting meeting: cpattanayak@wellesley.edu. Please include a very brief description of your project and the issue you'd like to discuss.

Since June 2013, the QAI has provided statistical consulting support for 294 research projects in anthropology, astrophysics, biological sciences, chemistry, cognitive and linguistic sciences, computer science, economics, English, biochemistry, French, engineering, quantitative reasoning, environmental studies, library and technology services, neuroscience, political science, psychology, Russian, sociology, history, math, women and gender studies, and the Wellesley Centers for Women.

A statistical consulting service like the QAI’s is rare at undergraduate institutions. We employ an apprenticeship model, with Wellesley students serving as statistical experts alongside the QAI director, expanding their technical knowledge and learning to communicate about data with researchers from other fields. Consulting topics range from designing studies and data collection, to the details of data analysis methods, to creating effective data visualizations, to helping researchers respond to journal editors as they seek to publish their work.