The Statistical Consulting Unit (SCU) can assist with both experimental design and data analysis.

When should you contact us?

From the beginning of the project! A well designed project can save time, money and maximise the information obtained. We have seen cases of poorly-designed studies from which very little was salvageable.

Collaboration between the statistical consultant and the client will be far more fruitful if the consultant is involved from the beginning of the project.

Protocol

To meet with one of our consultants to discuss your project, please fill out the consultation request form by clicking on the link below.

New research students are asked to bring their supervisor(s) to the first consultation. Honours students are asked to bring their supervisor(s) to every consultation.

Please follow the data organisation guidelines when providing your dataset to any consultant.

Where, as occasionally happens, conflicting advice on statistical matters is received from other sources, the matter should be resolved by discussion between all parties. We are committed to finding the most appropriate solution for the problem at hand.

Telephone advice

Advice will not ordinarily be given over the phone. In our experience, a 'quick' question often masks a complex research problem, requiring a consultation for discussion of all the issues.

Recommended texts

A list of recommended textbooks is available for your reference.

Software available to staff and students

The Division of Information Services (DOI) ANU, has a variety of software packages available to ANU Staff and students at Information@ANU.

The SCU supports and recommends the menu-driven statistical software packages GenStat, SAS, SPSS and Stata as well as the free package R.

Researchers are encouraged to use the statistical package commonly used in their work area to facilitate peer support.

Cost of purchasing software from DOI

The following statistical programs are available:

Windows:

• R – freeware, may be installed without licensing
• Stata – perpetual licence, $176.00, but a new licence will be needed with each version upgrade.
• GenStat – a new licence is 150.00 GBP. The licence expires on 28th February 2013. Student licences (full version) for Honours students and Graduate students are free.
• SPSS - Can access via ANU InfoCommons, or can be purchased from the Co-Op book shop on campus.
• SAS – $80.00 ex GST. The licence expires at the end of December 2012, it covers SAS and/or JMP.

Mac:

• SPSS - Please visit http://www.spss.com/au/statistics/ for more information.

For details on how to purchase the software see software purchasing.

Please contact the DOI Software office at software@anu.edu.au for information on licensing requirements.

You can contact SCU at scu@anu.edu.au for advice on the choice of statistical software for your particular use.