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STAT-L and SCI.STAT.CONSULT are a combined LISTSERV/USENET group for the discussion of statistical consulting issues. Through the magic of Internet, any message posted on SCI.STAT.CONSULT also appears on STAT-L. Any message posted on STAT-L appears on SCI.STAT.CONSULT. So you can follow all the fascinating questions and answers using either system.
The link between STAT-L and SCI.STAT.CONSULT is currently broken and has been since at least 2001. It seems as if most of the people who participate use SCI.STAT.CONSULT. It has a dozen or so new messages each day. The number of messages on STAT-L, excluding spam, are about one or two per week.
If anyone has the resources and the technical expertise to fix this link, please step forward. Those of us who have a difficult time posting messages on USENET would greatly appreciate this.
We discuss statistical issues of all levels of difficulty, as well as statistical education, the practice of statistical consulting, and other related topics. We also like to debate some of the more controversial issues in Statistics like the validity of the statistical models used in the Bell Curve book and the pitfalls of stepwise regression models.
Be sure to put your name and e-mail address at the end of your message. Some people have e-mail systems that strip headers from a message, making it impossible for them to reply directly to you.
If you have a question about a particular statistics package, you will probably get a faster and more accurate answer by posting the question on the list that specializes in a particular package (e.g., SAS-L/COMP.SOFT-SYS.SAS or S-NEWS). Refer to the section "How can I contact the major statistics software vendors?"
We appreciate questions at a levels from beginner to expert. Sometimes, the beginner questions lead to some interesting discussions as to the subtle nuances in statistical consulting. If you want advice on how to analyze some data, please include some context as to what your data means and what you are trying to investigate. No one can answer a question well that only says "Listed below is some data. How do I analyze it?"
Be careful about advice on STAT-L/SCI.STAT.CONSULT. You'll find many people who are glad to help you, but you must realize the serious limitations of e-mail. There is no adequate substitute for getting advice face-to-face with a professional, especially BEFORE collecting any data and BEFORE performing any experiments. Even the most experienced and wise Statisticians will be unable to make sense out of a poorly designed study.
There are three types of messages that we discourage. First, try to avoid any overly commercial pitches, including posting your resume. On the other hand, we do like to hear about job openings, especially ones that list starting salaries so we can bemoan how little we make on our current jobs. Postings of upcoming conferences are also acceptable.
Second, don't post your homework questions on here, even if you have permission to do so from your teacher. If you're looking for help on a thesis or disertation, make sure that your advisor is aware that you are seeking outside help.
Third, while we enjoy a spirited debate, please refrain from flaming and personal attacks. Although we have occasional lapses, this list has a generally high level of civility and politeness. Let's keep it that way.
Here's some additional advice from Richard Ulrich for SCI.STAT.CONSULT folks.
If you are going to CROSS-POST to several groups, PLEASE send just one message in which you LIST THE SEVERAL GROUPS in the header. i) That way, when someone writes a response, it will show up in EACH group where the question could be read, not just in one. ii) That way, when a person reads with a Threaded-newsreader, he will see your message just ONCE, instead of over and over.