MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS: CHALLENGES FOR PROFESSIONAL STATISTICIANS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52041/serj.v16i2.196Keywords:
Statistics education research, Statistics profession, Workplace perceptions, Workplace issues, Qualitative researchAbstract
This paper describes a qualitative survey of professional statisticians carried out in New Zealand in 2014. The aim of the study was to find out if the issues this group faced were consistent with those identified in the literature. The issues identified were integrity, legitimacy, isolation, workforce shortage, communication, and marginalisation. They represent points of frustration for statisticians that may impact on the future of the profession as it responds to increasing demands and higher expectations. We found that these issues resonated for many of the statisticians included in our study and we have discussed a number of strategies to address them. They include raising our profile, attracting a broader range of people to the profession, increasing our communication skills, raising the statistical literacy of the people we work with, and a commitment to making it easy to engage with our colleagues.
First published November 2017 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives
