As of the date of this post, I am launching this new blog feature to increase my accessibility to people out there who are encountering needs for help in statistics, research design, quantitative methods in business, psychometrics, survey design and analysis — in short, just about the whole gamut of quantitative methods. I see this blog as a place where I can update you on recent developments in statistics, on new ways to use statistical software to get at vexing analysis problems, and on new software tools for conducting various types of data analysis. I will also use as a channel through which to express my views on larger issues bearing on the conduct of research and the accessibility of research findings.
I am structuring this blog so that you can leave a comment or question in response to any of the blog entries I make. If you would like me to address a question you have, or to start up a blog thread on any particular topic that I haven't addressed, please send me an email with details to inquiry@prostatservices.com. I will attempt to prepare a blog entry that responds to your request, or at least post your interest or need for information so that others can reply.
Don't worry that your request for information might seem too elementary or simple -- we all started learning these subjects at ground zero, and those of us who have some knowledge are standing on the shoulders of others who took the time to help us understand what probably seemed to them to be simple things. Too many of the teachers and professionals in this field seem to want to make its concepts and methods sound difficult, apparently in an effort to elevate their own stature. I've also run into a considerable number of experts who view their own understanding of a statistical concept or method as a competitive edge, not to be shared with others. Quite candidly, I hold people in both of these categories in utter contempt. Knowledge is to be shared, and people seeking help with statistics are much better off being left with understanding rather than in awe.