Services Offered

• Advice on the design of experiments and studies.
• Advice on the collection of data.
• Advice on the statistical analysis of data.
• Implementation of statistical analyses under certain circumstances.
• Advice on statistical software packages and how to use and compare them.
• Advice on the preparation of the statistical methods sections of grant applications and research manuscripts, including assistance with budgeting for consulting services on grant proposals.
• Troubleshooting following review, for manuscripts that need revisions to the statistical methods section.

Information for Clients

• Hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Initial contact may be made either by email, telephone, or by appointment; all subsequent in-person consultations will be by appointment only.
• As a general rule, consultations will not be conducted over the telephone.
• Clients should, in all cases, have a written description of the problem on which they seek advice. This requirement avoids later confusion and helps clients focus on the issues of interest to them.
• For the initial consultation, clients are advised to bring, if possible, a copy of their data on diskette, any preliminary analyses that have been done, and any relevant publications in the literature.
• Consultations will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Clients are thus encouraged to keep this in mind when booking appointments.
• Clients applying for grants and who intend to make use of the SCS are recommended to request funding for such statistical consultation in their grant applications. Please consult the SCS 6-8 weeks before the grant deadline, as we are unlikely to provide last-minute advice to clients.

Disclaimers

The SCS does not provide the following services:

• Data entry or editing
• Data clean-up, verification, or data management
• Help with homework, class assignments, or class presentations
• Tutoring or teaching, except when required for the consultation

The SCS shall not be responsible for errors and/or misleading results arising from faulty data.

Consultant Responsibilities

If the client is charged for work done by the SCS, the SCS will keep close track of the progress and of the time spent on the project. The consultant will inform the client on a regular basis how much time has been spent on his or her problem. Invoices for services rendered will be sent to those clients who are charged. Payment can be made by cheque or directly through the internal McGill accounting system (Banner)