Discussion on “Effective interdisciplinary collaboration between statisticians and other subject matter experts”

Abstract

Interdisciplinary collaborations between statisticians and other subject matter experts can be fruitful endeavors that result in a deeper, more holistic approach to a problem and generate a better, more innovative solution. However, multidisciplinary collaborations only true become interdisciplinary when all team members are committed to developing a mutual understanding and respect of others’ backgrounds. By proactively preparing for the collaboration experience and becoming an effective translator of complex statistical terminology and concepts, the individual statistician can help his or her team develop the critical elements outlined in the focal article.

Keywords:

• statistical thinking
• statistical decision-making
• communication
• interdisciplinary collaboration
• statistical collaboration