Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Feb;8(1):32-42.
doi: 10.1111/cts.12204. Epub 2014 Sep 12.

Assessing statistical competencies in clinical and translational science education: one size does not fit all

Robert A Oster  1 , Christopher J Lindsell, Leah J Welty, Madhu Mazumdar, Sally W Thurston, Mohammad H Rahbar, Rickey E Carter, Bradley H Pollock, Andrew J Cucchiara, Elizabeth J Kopras, Borko D Jovanovic, Felicity T Enders
Affiliations

Assessing statistical competencies in clinical and translational science education: one size does not fit all

Robert A Oster et al. Clin Transl Sci. 2015 Feb.

Abstract

Introduction: Statistics is an essential training component for a career in clinical and translational science (CTS). Given the increasing complexity of statistics, learners may have difficulty selecting appropriate courses. Our question was: what depth of statistical knowledge do different CTS learners require?

Methods: For three types of CTS learners (principal investigator, co-investigator, informed reader of the literature), each with different backgrounds in research (no previous research experience, reader of the research literature, previous research experience), 18 experts in biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design proposed levels for 21 statistical competencies.

Results: Statistical competencies were categorized as fundamental, intermediate, or specialized. CTS learners who intend to become independent principal investigators require more specialized training, while those intending to become informed consumers of the medical literature require more fundamental education. For most competencies, less training was proposed for those with more research background.

Discussion: When selecting statistical coursework, the learner's research background and career goal should guide the decision. Some statistical competencies are considered to be more important than others. Baseline knowledge assessments may help learners identify appropriate coursework.

Conclusion: Rather than one size fits all, tailoring education to baseline knowledge, learner background, and future goals increases learning potential while minimizing classroom time.

Keywords: assessment; research training; statistical competency.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Need for training to be a Co‐I by research background.
Figure 2
Figure 2
High need for training by role and research background.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Altman DG, Goodman SN, Schroter S. How statistical expertise is used in medical research. JAMA. 2002; 287: 2817–2820. - PubMed
    1. Horton NJ, Switzer SS. Statistical methods in the journal. New Engl J Med. 2005; 353: 1977–1979. - PubMed
    1. Strasak AM, Zaman Q, Marinell G, Pfeiffer KP, Ulmer H. The use of statistics in medical research: a comparison of The New England Journal of Medicine and Nature Medicine . Am Stat 2007; 61: 47–55.
    1. Harris AHS, Reeder R, Hyun JK. Common statistical and research design problem in manuscripts submitted to high‐impact psychiatry journals: what editors and reviewers want authors to know. J Psychiat Res. 2009; 43: 1231–1234. - PubMed
    1. Mazumdar M, Banerjee S, Van Epps HL. Improved reporting of statistical design and analysis: guidelines, education, and editorial policies. Methods Mol Biol. 2010; 620: 563–598. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources