[Air-L] Credentials

[jeremy hunsinger]

no.  so long as the person is correct or i can learn from them.    I  
know at least 2 people on this list that do not have doctorates in  
statistics or doctorates at all and can probably answer 99% of  
statistical software questions quicker, better, and with less fuss,  
because they work with this software every day have taken training in  
the software, have read more textbooks related to statistics,  
etc.      Now if you have question on whether you need a specific test  
to verify for certain sampling errors in a snowball sample, you might  
want to talk to a statistical counselor....  as there are certainly  
questions that some people face and answer better than others.    
However, I could send you to statistics ph.d.'s who would just tell  
you to buzz off too, so...  in the end... i'd recommend take knowledge  
where you can get it, with the grains of salt it comes with.

but i do think it is an interesting question.   i just don't think,  
given my experiences, that credentials matter as much as demonstrable  
knowledge and while they may play a part in some cases, in the  
majority of cases I would not make that claim.

so no...

-jeremy

On Aug 18, 2009, at 10:00 AM, Dr. Rasha Abdulla wrote:

> Don't you think it makes a difference if the person giving me advice  
> on a
> statistical software package has a Ph.D. in statistics (even if  
> jobless), is
> an undergraduate student who heard about it from a friend (and yes,  
> that
> info could still be very valid), or a marketing staff member of the  
> software
> producing company? Yes, I know I can Google the name, but what's the  
> harm is
> signing off with a title or at least a full name (to be able to  
> google it?)
>
> Anyway, just a suggestion!
>
> All the best.
> Rasha
> -- 
> Rasha A. Abdulla, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor
> Journalism and Mass Communication
> The American University in Cairo
> www.rashaabdulla.com
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