Aspects of statistical consulting not taught by acedemia

Education in statistics is preparing for statistical analysis but not necessarily for statistical consulting. The objective of this paper is to explore the phases that precede and follow statistical analysis. Specifically these include: problem elicitation, data collection and, following statistical data analysis, formulation of findings, and presentation of findings, and recommendations. Some insights derived from a literature review and real-life case studies are provided. Areas for joint research by statisticians and cognitive scientists are outlined.