What is Statistics?

Many people have misconceptions about the profession of a statistician; they do not know what statistics is about. Statistics is a scientific discipline in which statisticians assist other scientists and researchers to make informed decisions in the face of uncertainty. Statisticians require skills not only in statistics, but also in other disciplines such as mathematics, computer science, business, management, and engineering to solve problems. The application of statistics is the embodiment of the scientific method.

Statistics is a very people-oriented profession because the statistician interacts continually with other professionals in problem solving. Every business, industry, and governmental agency that is doing research of any kind needs statisticians to assist them in areas such as:

• The Design and Analysis of Experiments
• The Design and Analysis of Sample Surveys
• Quality Improvement
• Actuarial Analysis