ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS TRAINING COURSES FOR THE NON-STATISTICIAN TEACHING THE CONCEPTS, NOT THE FORMULAS US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Information OfFICEOf ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ------- OBJECTIVES Environmental Statistics Training has been designed as a non-technical series of courses for EPA employees and their state/local colleagues who either directly (or indirectly through contracts) face issues of data analysis, data quality, and interpretation of environmental data. BACKGROUND Many of EPA's decisions are based on careful examination of pertinent data. While many EPA offices have their own statistician, it is imperative that non-statisticans who have to collect, analyze, and interpret data have a grasp of the basic concepts that are used in statisical analysis in order to better understand and utilize methods for proper decision making. As the Agency increases its reliance on data and information collected from outside sources, it is essential to have staff capable of determining the quality, reliability, and utilitity of information and data. • Can we trust these data? • How much uncertainty is there ? • Do these meet our needs? • How sure are we ? • Can these data hurt us? • Do these data support us? • Did we collect enough data? • Where are the weaknesses? • Are there any hidden surprises? • What did we do wrong? ------- OUR PHILIOSOPHY In order for EPA to have staff that can feel comfortable in a data-rich environment, there is a need to train staff from all backgrounds to understand how departures from planned collection of data lead to analytical and interpretative problems. Staff need an understanding of the requirements of a random sample or one that is representative of a complex condition. Formal training in statistics requires theory, mathematics, and use of numerous formulas. Environmental Statistics Training courses are purposely designed to circumvent these impediments and provide practical tools and methods for the non- statistician. THREE LEVELS OF COURSES The full list of current courses are listed on page 5 of this pamphlet. They are divided into three levels: Basic Statistical Concepts, Fundamental Statistical Planning, and Specialized Statistical Practices. The first level courses are intended for staff having little mathematical training yet who are interested in the broad application of statistics. The second level builds on the first and concentrates on the planning aspects of data collection and generation. The third level looks at useful methods to determine the reliability, utility, and usability of data. PROSPECTIVE AUDIENCE Some of the staff who have participated in Environmental Statistics Training include Project Officers, Principal Investigators, Managers, Quality Assurance Specialists, Remedial Program Managers, Chemists, Biologists, and Environmental Protection Specialists. ------- TRAINERS While the course content is designed for non- statisticans, the courses are taught by two of EPA's veteran statisticians, Barry Nussbaum, and John Warren. These are the guys who have never met a datum they didn't like. They have spent considerable time teaching and are known for their humor and explanatory skills. HOW TO TAKE A COURSE The courses are usually offered to specific offices, Programs, or Regions so that some of the examples may be tailored to the situation to make the courses even more applicable.The courses last a half day each and may be placed in any order to suit the organization. Project Officers, with permission from their supervisors, can count each course as 4 hours training towards their bi-annual certification requirements. To set up a course or a series of courses, contact Barry 202-566-1493,or John 202-564-6876, and we will work with you to design a custom set of courses, arrange schedules, and make travel arrangements as might be needed. ------- HALF-DAY COURSES Basic Statistical Concepts Introduction to DQA: A Reviewer's Guide How to review a statistical analysis of data Interpretation of Environmental Statistics: Turning data into sense and information Understanding Statistical Tests How t-tests work and can go wrong Fundamental Statistical Planning Systematic Planning and DQOs How to use statistics in systematic planning Planning for Sampling Choosing the appropriate sampling strategy Translating DQOs to MQOs Linking objectives to the needs of a QAPP DQA: Statistical Methods for Practitioners A survey of statistical techniques How to Perform a Valid Survey What you need to know for a good survey Specialized Statistical Practices Using Visual Sample Plan Software The software is free but how do you use it? Interpretation of Monitoring Data It's not the same as random data Dealing with Censored Data What to do with less-than-detected values Interpreting Multivariate Data Handling more than one variable The Detection of Outliers How to identify them safely ------- For more information Contact: Barry D. Nussbaum, D.Sc. 202-566-1493 nussbaum.barry@epa.gov John Warren, Ph.D. 202-564-6876 warren.john@epa.gov WWW.EPA.GOV/OEI OfFKEOf ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of EPA 240F 10001 Environmental March 2010 Information ------- |