Latest newsletter (20-2) now online!

The new issue, Vol. 20-2, of the ASA section for statistical computing
and graphics is online now!

This issue contains three articles:

• High-Flying Graphics at the 2009 Data Expo by Rick Wicklin


• Hadoop for Statistical Analysis and Exploration by Byron Ellis


• Statistical Graphics! - Who needs Visual Analytics? by Martin Theus

Our section heads provide interesting views in their column "A word from
our section chairs", we look back at the highlights of the JSM 2009, and
feature a reader response from Naomi Robbins. These articles all provide
interesting reading and we hope you enjoy them.

Happy holidays and a wonderful new year 2010 to everyone!

Nicholas Lewin-Koh (Computing)
Andreas Krause (Graphics)

The Statistical Computing and Graphics Award

The ASA Sections of Statistical Computing and Statistical Graphics have established the Statistical Computing and Graphics Award to recognize an individual or team for innovation in computing, software, or graphics that has had a great impact on statistical practice or research. Typically, awards are granted bi-annually.

The prize carries with it a cash award of $5,000 plus an allowance of up to $1,000 for travel to the annual Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) where the award will be presented.

Learn more

Webinar: How to Avoid Some Common Graphical Mistakes

Interested in avoiding common graphical mistakes? You might be interested in the ASA webinar hosted by Naomi Robbins, offered this February. Find out more at http://www.amstat.org/sections/graphics/webinar.cfm

New newsletter now available

The new Volume 20, No 1 of the Statistical Computing and Graphics newsletter is online now! The newsletter includes:

• Words from our new chairs, Jose Pinheiro and Antony Unwin,


• "Gapminder: Liberating the x-axis from the burden of time",


• "The Fan plot: displaying relative quantities and proportions",


• A conference report on MMDS 2008 (Modern Massive Data Sets),


• Short contributions on "Taking it to higher dimensions" and


• "A six-dimensional scatterplot" as well as


• The Technology and Commerce Corner and Conference News.

Best regards,

Nicholas Lewin-Koh and Andreas Krause (SCGN co-editors)

Statistical graphics and computing courses at the JSM.

Interested in taking a course on stat computing or graphics while you're at the JSM? Here are two options.


Looking at data, 30-31 July.
Dianne Cook, Heike Hofmann and Hadley Wickham.

Graphics are a fundamental part of data analysis, used in initial data inspection and exploration, model building and checking and also communicating information. In this course we will teach the basics of static graphics and move on to the new developments in direct manipulation and dynamic graphics that facilitate exploratory data analysis. The methods taught are readily available in open source software, enabling all participants to reproduce, extend and use them with their own data after the workshop.

Comprehensive data analysis using interactive statistical graphics, 4 August.
Martin Theus and Simon Urbanek

Applied statistics is the basis for decision making and knowledge discovery in a variety of fields and applications. Interactive graphical methods are successfully used in the early stages of the analytic process and appreciated due their ability to identify patterns and anomalies quickly. However, it was not until recently that methods and tools became available that allow the extension of purely descriptive graphical analysis to interactive visualization of statistical properties and model-based analysis. This course consists of a methodology part and a practical, hands-on part. In the first, we will review the basic methodology of interactive graphics in a concise framework. We will also explore the tools available and their fitness for a specific data analytic task. We will further focus on the integration of statistics and models in the interactive visualization in practice. We will also cover the most recent advances in model selection and comparison aimed at understanding model behavior with respect to the underlying data, allowing for models that are better suited for a given application than standard statistical approaches. During the course, we will demonstrate the practical use of the available state-of-the-art interactive graphics software for data analysis. Attendees will be able to (re)run the practical parts on their own and are encouraged to bring their laptops.

Latest newsletter now online!

The new Volume 19, no 2 of the Statistical Computing and Graphics newsletter is online now!

It includes a feature article by Stuart K. Randa and Robert J. Klare on "Autoweibull", and Rainer Muche, Christina Ring and Christoph Ziegler on "Development and Validation of Logistic Prognostic Models Using Predefined SAS Macros". The newsletter also contains a preview of the 2009 JSM program, the solution to last issue's puzzle, and meeting roundup of useR! 2008.

The newsletter is available at: http://stat-computing.org/newsletter/v192.pdf

Graphics contest in Chance magazine

CHANCE magazine is having a graphics contest to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Will Burtin (1908-1972).
Burtin was an early developer of what has come to be called scientific visualization. To enter, submit a graphical illustration of the data and an accompanying written description of the graph by January 15 2009. Be in to win a free subscription to chance.

Found more about the competition on the competition website.