Ready4R (2025-06-06): Speaking the Language and Upcoming Events
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Speaking Your Audience's Language
If there is one thing my informatics training has taught me, it is that it is important to speak the language of your stakeholders. No one wants to know about your model output in R or Python; they want to know the impact of your work. How does it affect them? What suggestions can you make to improve their situation?
I think more data scientists need to practice presenting their message to people other than themselves. This is not 'dumbing it down' - it is understanding and empathizing with your audience. Your audience is paying your way, or helping to, and you need to let them know why they should continue to support you. It is a two way street.
We must be humble, and listen, and understand what our collaborators need. Sometimes there is an educational component to the work; sometimes your stakeholders have heard and fixated on one solution; by understanding their needs, you may be able to steer them to a more suitable solutions.
No one likes to be talked down to - you need to connect their needs to your solution. Avoiding jargon is important to doing this. If you do use jargon, you need to explain it.
You might find this approach generates gratitude from your stakeholders. That can be pretty rewarding in itself, but it only comes from knowing your stakeholders and patiently showing them something.
You need to provide interpretation of your results, not just plop them in front of someone and expect them to understand. You need to tell them your story, and not get lost in all of the details.
I'll post more entries in how to communicate data science in following emails.
R/Medicine Panel: Supporting R Learners on the Job (6/10)
Excited to be on this R/Medicine panel called "Supporting R learners on the Job in these Interesting Times" on June 10! I'll be there with Joy Payton, Silvia Canelón, PhD, Meghan Harris, MPH, and Ray Balise.
We'll be discussing how we teach and encourage R learners at our various institutions and it should be a really interesting conversation. Hope to see you there!
Cascadia-R is in Portland! I'm Teaching a Shiny Workshop! (6/20)
The Cascadia-R regional R Conference is in Portland this year. I have a special love for this conference (being one of the co-founders), and they are offering 7 different workshops, including my Intermediate Shiny Workshop on June 20 from 9 AM -12 PM.
More info about the conf here: https://cascadiarconf.com/ - there is a virtual option to attend, but workshops are in person.
The Bad Side of Data Science
Whenever I walk into our Fred Meyer store (owned by Kroger, a big grocery chain in the USA), I am reminded of the bad ways to use data science.
The layout of the store is clearly now optimized for impulse purchases - all snacks and candy are in the front of the store, while the remainder of items, such as flour, bread, and other important items are shoved in the back. I'm also acutely aware of them not stocking certain products, and the variety of products has dwindled.
This new layout was clearly driven by purchase data and smacks of bad management. In short, the new layout has made shopping more difficult, which I think for Kroger is a good thing, since that means more time spent in the stores.
It's one thing to understand how people are buying your products, but to actively make their experience worse just seems like a misapplication of Data Science. My opinion. Your mileage may vary.
Thanks for Reading!
Hope everyone's summer is going ok. If it isn't, please take care of yourself.
Best, Ted