Now’s a good time to remind people about what makes a great Stats Beerz question:

  1. You or someone you know needs help with something related to statistics, programming, data manipulation, or visualization. This could be at any stage of the research process — some people find it helpful in designing their experiment to minimize statistical pain down the road. It could also be something you heard about in a class or read in a paper that you’re confused about.

  2. No problem is too simple! In general your problem is never as simple as you think it is and the answer is never short. Plus, simpler questions are usually helpful to far more people than ‘advanced’ questions. So, really, don’t feel intimidated. We’re a friendly bunch and there are people who attend from all levels of experience.

  3. Often a quick sketch on the whiteboard or a figure or two on the big screen can help people understand your problem.

  4. Tell us a little bit about your system and problem. No need to jump right to the stats. Often the the solution comes from taking a step back and rethinking the question or approach, not just solving your immediate stats problem.

  5. Keep it short and allow time for others.

  6. If you can, follow up with the group at a later date and share what you figured out or how the analysis turned out. We can all learn from that.