The organisation and evaluation of a statistical consulting service for psychology students

Abstract

Statistics and methodology play a crucial role in psychological research, and university psychology courses teach students the theory and application of various statistical methods. However, students who conduct their own research projects oftentimes face problems which are specific to their data and cannot be solved using standard curricular procedures. Instead, these issues need to be solved on a case-by-case basis. This article presents the organisation and evaluation of a statistical consulting service for students who face methodological issues in applied research. We describe the scope, contents, workload, and administrative framework of the service and evaluate its effectiveness and helpfulness as reported by the consultees over a two-semester period. Results show that the service is frequently used and well-received, and that consultants are adequately compensated for their work. We further provide recommendations for teachers and consultants regarding the organisation of the service and the consulting process from a practical perspective.