The Statistical Consulting Centre provides high-quality advice on statistical methods to graduate research students and staff at the University of Melbourne.
The Statistical Consulting Centre (SCC) provide personal consultations via Zoom video link or telephone, or in person.
Centre services are available to staff and graduate researchers from any discipline across the university. Consultants can provide one-on-one advice to assist with any stage of a quantitative research project from planning and data collection to analysis and reporting.
Our goal is to enhance your knowledge of statistical methods. You are strongly encouraged to see a consultant when you are planning your research project. SCC consultants have a wealth of experience working on quantitative projects with industry, business, government and the academic community.
Who is eligible?
University of Melbourne staff and most University of Melbourne Graduate research students.
Graduate researchers can check eligibility.
Graduate diploma and Masters by coursework students, for example, are not eligible.
Graduate Researchers
Eligible Graduate Researchers can access up to 10 hours of free statistical advice across their candidature.
Additional support is available at a subsidised rate of $55 per hour for a further 20 hours. For any time beyond a total of 30 hours, a rate of $120 per hour applies.
Please be aware there can be up to a 4 week wait for the first consultation.
There is an expectation that your supervisor attend the initial consultation with the SCC consultant.
SCC consultants can provide advice on research projects, with an emphasis on education and training.
Consultants do not advise on coursework.
Graduate Researchers need to download and sign the "Statistical Consulting Centre" form (PDF 370.9 KB) before the first consultation.
A consultant may decline an appointment without a signed form.
Please bring the signed form to your first appointment. You can bring your laptop and data stored on a memory stick, if appropriate. If you are ready to enter or analyse your data, you can prepare for your consultation by following these resources – ‘Preparing your data and other resources’.
In finalising your thesis and preparing publications, please include appropriate acknowledgement of support provided by the Melbourne Statistical Consulting Platform.
Internal Staff
The Platform offers limited consulting services to University of Melbourne staff at discounted rates.
Rates vary according to consultant experience: contact Deb Maillardet for MSCP rates. Payment can only be made through Themis; please provide details before your first consultation: Access the staff billing form. (PDF 269.2 KB)
Platform consultants can assist with all aspects of quantitative research including study design, questionnaire design and data collection methods, choice of sample size, data management and verification, analysis strategies, modelling of data, interpretation of analyses and statistical reasoning, communication of statistical findings (tailored to the audience), quality graphical presentations, critical review of quantitative research and reasoning, and use of statistical software. We can assist with grant applications.
If you are ready to enter or analyse your data, you can prepare for your consultation by following these resources – ‘Preparing your data and other resources’.
You can bring your laptop and data stored on a memory stick to the consultation, if appropriate.
In preparing publications, please include appropriate acknowledgement of support provided by the Melbourne Statistical Consulting Platform.
Below we have provided examples of acknowledgements that you can use to put in your Thesis or publications. Please note you can change to suit your research and your situation.
- Example of acknowlegements
We thank Name of statistician of the Statistical Consulting Centre at the University of Melbourne for guidance with the statistical aspects of this research project.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Name of statistician (Statistical Consulting Centre, University of Melbourne) to the design, analysis, and reporting of the quantitative aspects of this research.
We acknowledge the assistance of Name of statistician (Statistical Consulting Centre, University of Melbourne) in carrying out the statistical analyses and in the presentation of the research findings.
Statistical analysis was undertaken by Name of statistician from the Statistical Consulting Centre of the University of Melbourne.
We have expertise in:
- questionnaire design and data collection methods
- study design, for experiments and surveys
- choice of sample size
- data management and verification
- analysis strategies
- modelling of data
- data mining and analytics
- interpretation of analyses and statistical reasoning
- communication of statistical findings, tailored to the audience
- quality graphical presentations
- critical review of quantitative research and reasoning
- statistical software
- expert witness needs
- statistics courses tailored to specific needs
- statistical software packages including R, Genstat, Minitab, SPSS and Stata.
Research Website – For more information about the wider platform community, please visit Research Website, which is available to all visitors.
Research Gateway – Details about the University’s research infrastructure related resources and services can be found on Research Gateway, which is available to the University of Melbourne staff and Graduate Researchers.