What to call a team of statisticians and economists?
October 27, 2017 3:55 AM Subscribe
I work in an analytical unit that is split into two teams - one of social researchers and one made up of statisticians and economists. They are currently known as the 'Research Team' and the 'Analysis Team'. We're all analysts, so I think we need better names, what would you suggest?
The research team focuses on literature reviews, evaluation design, surveys etc. - the team members have mixed qualitative and quantitative backgrounds - while the 'analysis' team does secondary data analysis of large administrative datasets, provides economic advice on business cases, cost/benefit analyses, and other modelling tasks.
When our non-analyst colleagues want us to help with a task, they think "let's talk to an analyst" and I feel that the name of the 'analysis' team leads to confusion and sidelining of the researchers.
I would really welcome suggestions for names for either or both teams.
The research team focuses on literature reviews, evaluation design, surveys etc. - the team members have mixed qualitative and quantitative backgrounds - while the 'analysis' team does secondary data analysis of large administrative datasets, provides economic advice on business cases, cost/benefit analyses, and other modelling tasks.
When our non-analyst colleagues want us to help with a task, they think "let's talk to an analyst" and I feel that the name of the 'analysis' team leads to confusion and sidelining of the researchers.
I would really welcome suggestions for names for either or both teams.
No affiliation, but I think the research organization MDRC has a similar division of labor. They seem to use Technical Research versus Research (i.e., Technical Research Analyst versus Research Analyst, Technical Research Associate versus Research Associate) - check out their careers website! So maybe Analysis becomes Technical Research and they can all be research analysts?
Or you could use "Quantitative" as in Quantitative Research Analyst for your numbers folks, but that has a finance-y sound to it which may not float your boat.
I think the key problem is that the Analysis team does Data Analysis, but you can't call them Data Analyst since that sounds unambiguously more junior than Research Analyst.
posted by yonglin at 6:37 AM on October 27, 2017
Or you could use "Quantitative" as in Quantitative Research Analyst for your numbers folks, but that has a finance-y sound to it which may not float your boat.
I think the key problem is that the Analysis team does Data Analysis, but you can't call them Data Analyst since that sounds unambiguously more junior than Research Analyst.
posted by yonglin at 6:37 AM on October 27, 2017
Response by poster: I guess the names have to be serious/non-jokey right? Because I think one team is the Wonks and the other is the Geeks.
Sadly, jokes are probably not going to fly, even though that is probably a reasonable description.
posted by knapah at 6:47 AM on October 27, 2017
Sadly, jokes are probably not going to fly, even though that is probably a reasonable description.
posted by knapah at 6:47 AM on October 27, 2017
"Social research" and "statistics and economics"
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 6:52 AM on October 27, 2017
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 6:52 AM on October 27, 2017
Research Analysis and Data Analysis (shortened to Research and Data in practice)? Or Research and Statistics?
posted by paduasoy at 6:59 AM on October 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by paduasoy at 6:59 AM on October 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
First team can remain as "Research Team". Second team could be the "Applied Modeling Team".
posted by tuxster at 10:29 AM on October 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by tuxster at 10:29 AM on October 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Dr Dracator at 6:36 AM on October 27, 2017 [1 favorite]