Training statistics and statisticians Tamás Rudas Department of Statistics Faculty of Social Sciences Eötvös Loránd University

Which skills? – A moving target Cannot train for a „new” statistics One does not know what this new statistics is going to be Need to train for adaptation Conflict between applying strictly defined rules and procedures, and being open to fundamentally revise them Need to develop the right attitude, as much as to teach methods

Some new trends – data collection Growing reliance on surveys A changing view of the total error (sampling and non-sampling) Shift from active to passive data collection From survey and census to administrative and commercial big data Different techniques Different concepts of quality Different political position

Some new trends – data analysis Using sampling weights Model based analysis From linear regression to multilevel modeling, non-linear relationships, categorical data, higher order interactions Exploratory analysis data mining, machine learning

Some new trends – data reporting Direct access Interactive access For the researcher, the decision maker, the layman Responses to questions not known at the time of data collection

Training on the job Training for what? Better excution of the existing methods? Ability to recognize when new methods are needed? Propose and develop new methods? Test and compare new methods?

Rigour and innovation – different actors Different skills are needed Best represented by different actors Some roles within the organization, some outside Dynamic balance between the different skills

Balance between rigour and innovation On the job training should achieve a balance between rigour and innovation Develop not only skills but also attitudes Support innovation outside of the organization Every profession is conservative The leaders meed to be innovative