A Reference Model for Providing Statistical Consulting Services in an Academic Library Setting

Princeton University Library, through its Data and Statistical Services (DSS) unit, goes further than many libraries in providing consulting on statistical methods as well as software support for data library users. Princeton requires all third and fourth year undergraduates to do independent original research papers and theses in their disciplines of concentration. These requirements create a clientele of students who need to conduct relatively sophisticated statistical analysis, but who may or may not possess the necessary skills required to do so. This paper describes the model we employ at Princeton DSS to help these patrons, drawing on our experience as data consultants to discuss how it works in practice