Statistical methods can help researchers uncover insights from complex, real-world data, advancing scientific understanding and informing decisions across a wide range of fields. A new article coauthored by members of the Royal Statistical Society’s Emerging Applications Section explores 3 methods with growing applications: natural experiments, citizen science, and changepoint detection. Elizabeth Eisenhauer, PhD, a Westat Senior Statistical Associate, was a coauthor of the article.
Although controlled experiments have played a central role in scientific research, many important questions involve processes that researchers cannot control. Natural experiments can provide valuable evidence by leveraging events that occur outside researchers’ control; citizen science can harness observations from thousands of volunteers; and changepoint detection can identify subtle shifts in complex processes.
The article highlights recent applications of these 3 approaches, showing how statistical methods are being adapted and applied in new ways to address increasingly complex scientific and real-world challenges.
Learn More
Elizabeth W. Eisenhauer, Maria Nareklishvili, Ayse Ulgen, Andrej Srakar, and Dean Bodenham