Reinventing Biostatistics Education for Basic Scientists

Tracey L Weissgerber, Vesna D Garovic, Jelena S Milin-Lazovic, Stacey J Winham, Zoran Obradovic, Jerome P Trzeciakowski and Natasa M Milic

PLOS Biology, 2016, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: Numerous studies demonstrating that statistical errors are common in basic science publications have led to calls to improve statistical training for basic scientists. In this article, we sought to evaluate statistical requirements for PhD training and to identify opportunities for improving biostatistics education in the basic sciences. We provide recommendations for improving statistics training for basic biomedical scientists, including: 1. Encouraging departments to require statistics training, 2. Tailoring coursework to the students’ fields of research, and 3. Developing tools and strategies to promote education and dissemination of statistical knowledge. We also provide a list of statistical considerations that should be addressed in statistics education for basic scientists.How is biostatistics education failing to meet the needs of basic scientists, and what can we do to fix this? This Perspective discusses strategies for making biostatistics an integral part of postgraduate and continuing education for basic scientists, ensuring that courses teach the specific skills needed to design, analyze, and critically evaluate basic science research.

Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pbio00:1002430

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002430

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