ICOTS8: Scientific Programme: Paper 7E2

This paper is from Session 7E: Statistics for biology and the health sciences

Full topic list

which comes under Topic 7: Statistics education and the wider society

(Thursday 15th, 11:00-12:30)

A model to optimise statistical independence and critical thinking amongst researchers in a diverse disciplinary setting

Presenter

Diana Battistutta (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Co-authors

Helen Johnson (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)
Cameron Hurst (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)
Dimitrios Vagenas (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)
Ross Young (Queensland University of Technology, Australia)

Abstract

Reflective, open-minded, evidence-based decision making is a defining feature of critical thinking. The Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) conducts research in diverse disciplines under qualitative and quantitative paradigms. Research methods capacity building activities must engage established as well as the majority population of postgraduate student researchers. A support model was designed utilizing a social constructivist framework and package of activities catering to various levels of statistical knowledge and phobias defined. Established and refined on the basis of three years experience, we describe the activities and relative uptake by researcher stakeholders. We suggest that this novel packaging promotes: (i) interdisciplinary exchange and intellectual curiosity, ii) more rigorous application of statistics, and (iii) professional development of team statisticians.