Does the statistics profession have an identity crisis?

Abstract

The field of statistics has numerous areas of application and many positive attributes. Various companies and organizations around the world have chosen not only to adopt statistical tools, but also to integrate them into their associated work and ultimately into their decision making processes. Consequently, the value of statistics as a quantitative tool of importance to society appears to be continually increasing. In contrast, statisticians are less visible to society, and their importance and necessity is not always as evident. This is a result of many factors, some tied to the statistics profession itself and others due to external causes that are not easily controlled. This address presents some basic ideas for improving the recognition of statistics as a profession and of statisticians as the profession's core component. Included is a discussion of ways to promote the recognition of the value of statisticians to society. © 2004 American Statistical Association.