survey or experiment supervision of data collection to ensure elements of the population are being sampled correctly statistical analyses (e.g., analysis of variance, regression, etc.) of data to address research hypotheses the write-up of statistical results for grant proposals, manuscripts, professional conferences, or other presentations. Giving methodological advice can mean answering specific questions or performing mundane data analyses. When clients have little understanding of research methods and statistics, consultants may have to clarify substantive questions and to translate them into methodological and statistical procedures. In private companies, the form of consultancy does not necessarily depend on the understanding of the client. Different companies may offer different forms of consulting, ranging from providing a quick fix for specific problems, provide extensive explanations to the client or even running the whole analyses. In some cases, ethical considerations are a concern. The client's occupation may form a constraint for the form in which consultancy can be offered. Running data-analyses for companies may not be a problem, where doing this for a bachelors or masters student can be considered fraud. Skill set Although statisticians were traditionally trained largely on a technical skill set, modern training focuses on more than methodological questions. It also emphasizes advisors to be proficient in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. They have to be able to elicit explanations from clients and give clear explanations of methods and statistics themselves. Because in some cases the implications of methodological advice may be profound (e.g., it may not be possible to conduct certain experiments, or to gain certain insights from data already collected), consultants also have to be able to communicate such ramifications. See also Statistician Management consulting List of university statistical consulting centers References Further reading Boen, J. R., & Zahn, D. A. (1982). Human Side of Statistical Consulting. Wadsworth Publishing Company. Cabrera, J., McDougall, A. (2002). Statistical Consulting. Springer. Derr, J. (1999). Statistical Consulting: A Guide to Effective Communication. Duxbury Press. Hand, D. J., & Everitt, B.S. (1987). The Statistical Consultant in Action. Cambridge University Press. Adèr, H.J., Mellenbergh, G.J., & Hand, D.J. (2007). Advising on research methods: A consultant's companion. Johannes van Kessel Publishing: Huizen, The Netherlands. External links Directory of Statistical Consultants provided by the Royal Statistical Society Consulting occupations Mathematical science occupations