Opens in a new tab

WHY ONLINESPSS

Why Researchers Choose OnlineSPSS
Standards for Choosing a Statistical Consultant

Choosing a statistical consultant means checking training, method judgment, scope and confidentiality. OnlineSPSS, a specialist statistical consultancy, sets out how it works on each, so you can judge the fit before sharing any data.

No Commitment Required

Strictly Confidential

In-House PhD-Level Statisticians

Fixed Project Fee

Same-Day Response

Choosing a statistical consultant comes down to seven checks: who carries out the analysis and with what training, whether the method fits your design and field, whether the consultant will question a requested method, who answers your questions, how scope and fee are agreed, how your data are handled, and where responsibility for the study stays. A careful consultant can explain each of these before work starts. OnlineSPSS is a specialist statistical consultancy for academic, clinical and professional research, with the analysis carried out in-house by PhD-level statisticians. The research question, interpretation and conclusions stay with you.

WHAT TO CHECK

What to Look For in a Statistical Consultant

The points a careful researcher checks before sharing data with any statistical consultant, beside the way OnlineSPSS works on each.

What to Check Why It Matters How OnlineSPSS Works
Training behind the analysis The model choice and its diagnostics are only as sound as the statistical training of the person making them. The analysis is carried out in-house by PhD-level statisticians.
Fit with your design and field Clustered, repeated or censored data need different methods from independent observations. Methods are matched to the design you actually have, whether that is clustered, longitudinal or time-to-event data.
Willingness to question the method A consultant who runs any requested test is not checking whether it answers your question. OnlineSPSS assesses whether the requested method fits and explains the alternative first where another one does.
One clear point of contact If your contact cannot follow the statistics, design questions travel back and forth instead of being answered. A statistically trained Research Coordinator works in the same organization as the statistician.
Scope and fee agreed in advance Without a defined scope and fee, neither the cost nor the deliverables can be planned around a thesis, grant or manuscript. Deliverables, timeline and one fixed project fee are confirmed after review, with no hidden extras within the scope.
Handling of sensitive material Protocols, transcripts and patient-level data should not be shared on a vague assurance. Data and project details are handled confidentially, and an NDA is available where required.
Division of responsibility The study must remain the researcher’s, with the consultant’s part defined in writing. OnlineSPSS provides the agreed statistical support, and conclusions and authorship remain yours.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Six Strengths Behind the Statistical Work

How the work is staffed, agreed and delivered, each point something you can ask about before you proceed.

In-House PhD-Level Statisticians

Model choice, diagnostics and reported results are all handled in-house, so the reasoning behind each decision can be explained when you ask about it.

A Statistically Trained Coordinator

A question about design or output is understood the first time, because your contact follows the statistics.

Judgment About the Method

A t-test requested for pupils clustered in classrooms, or a pooled estimate across trials too different to combine, is raised before analysis begins, with the alternative and its reasoning set out for you to decide.

Publication-Ready Reporting

Results arrive as interpreted estimates with their uncertainty, plus tables and figures prepared to the reporting standard agreed for your project, not as unedited software output.

Confidential Engagement

An NDA can be arranged before sensitive materials are shared, so protocols and patient-level data are not sent on a vague assurance.

One Fixed Fee After Review

A fixed project fee set against a defined scope lets you compare providers on what will actually be delivered, and requesting an assessment does not commit you to proceed with the work. More on Pricing.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Statistical Work That Can Be Explained and Checked

Work should stand up to a supervisor, a committee or a reviewer, so what was done, and why, is written down.

Assumptions Judged in Context Assumptions are examined against your design and the diagnostics relevant to the method, not ticked off with a single test, and what was checked is recorded in the results.

Decisions With Reasons Choices such as handling missing data, clustering or multiple comparisons come with their reasons in plain language, so you can describe them accurately when asked.

Estimates With Uncertainty Effects are reported with confidence intervals and effect sizes, not p-values alone, and the wording stays within what your study design can support.

A Second Look at Existing Work If an analysis has already been run, or reviewers have questioned it, an independent statistical review examines the method, the calculations and the reporting.

RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITY

What We Do and What Stays With You

A clear boundary protects the researcher and the work: the support is defined first and the study stays in your hands.

Agreed Statistical Support

Our role is the agreed methodological, analytical and statistical reporting support. The research question, substantive interpretation, conclusions and responsibility for the study remain yours.

No Intellectual Contribution

OnlineSPSS does not claim any intellectual contribution to the research. Authorship, the scholarly argument and the discussion of what the findings mean remain yours.

No Promised Outcomes

Nothing in an engagement promises publication, committee approval or a significant result. A sound analysis can return a null finding, and it is reported as one.

Names and Project Information

Project information is not published. Researcher names and institutions are not used publicly without permission, whether the work is a thesis, a manuscript or a grant application.

SCOPE OF SUPPORT

Services, Fields and Methods We Cover

Six services follow the stages of a research project, across six research fields, with method and software chosen to suit the analysis.

Research Planning & Study Design

Design, outcomes, sample size and the analysis plan

Quantitative Data Analysis

Models, diagnostics and effect estimates

Qualitative & Mixed Methods Analysis

Systematic coding and integration of findings

Results Reporting & Interpretation

Tables, figures and reporting standards

Meta-Analysis & Evidence Synthesis

Pooling, heterogeneity and forest plots

Independent Statistical Review

A second statistical look at existing work

View All Analysis Services

HOW IT WORKS

A Clear Process From Assessment to Delivery

Every project starts with a review of your research and materials, so scope and fee are clear before work begins.

1

Share Your Project

Send your research question, study materials and any data. We will tell you if anything else is needed to assess the project.

2

Receive Your Assessment

A statistically trained Research Coordinator reviews the project and confirms the analytical work, deliverables, timeline and fixed project fee. Useful documents to send:

Research proposalSurvey instrumentCodebookEthics approvalInterview guide
3

Work Completed

Once you confirm the scope, an in-house statistician carries out the agreed analysis and delivers the agreed outputs.

RESEARCHER VOICE

What Researchers Say

Anonymized feedback from researchers on settling the method before analysis and on advice shaped by the field and the way papers are reviewed.

“We were at the point where several statistical approaches could have answered the project, and we needed a clear method strategy before doing more analysis. The team mapped the design, outcomes, assumptions, and reporting needs first, then showed us which methods genuinely fitted the research question. It saved us from doing a lot of unnecessary analysis.”

“We needed statistical support that understood business and economic data, especially repeated firm observations, survey constructs, and models with several competing explanations. The recommendations were practical and aligned with the way management and economics papers are reviewed, not just with whichever test was easiest to run.”

Independent reviews

Read All Reviews

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions Researchers Ask Before Choosing a Consultant

Researchers comparing providers usually ask about who does the analysis, what qualifications matter, whether existing work can be reviewed, and how data are protected.

OnlineSPSS is a specialist statistical consultancy that has served researchers since 2014, with the analysis carried out in-house by PhD-level statisticians. The method is judged against your design and field rather than simply run as requested, the reasoning behind each decision is explained in plain language, and the research question, interpretation and authorship stay yours.

A PhD-level statistician carries out the analysis in-house. Your main contact is a statistically trained Research Coordinator in the same organization, who reviews your request, clarifies the scope and relays questions about design or output. You can read more on the About Us page.

A statistical consultant should have formal training in statistics, experience with designs like yours, and the ability to explain a method and its limits in plain language. Ask who will do the analysis, how the method will be matched to your design and what you will receive. A good sign is a consultant who asks about your design and data before naming a method or a fee.

Yes. An independent statistical review examines an existing analysis, including the choice of method, the assumptions, the calculations and the reporting, and it can address statistical comments from reviewers or supervisors. You receive a clear account of what holds, what should change and why, and the decision on how to proceed stays with you.

Research data and project details are handled confidentially and not published. An NDA is available where required and can be arranged before sensitive materials such as protocols, transcripts or patient-level data are shared. Researcher names and institutions are not used publicly without permission.

You share your research question, design and relevant materials, and the Research Coordinator reviews the request and responds the same day. Scope, deliverables, timeline and the fixed project fee are then confirmed before work begins, with no commitment to proceed.

Still have a question? Find more answers in our full FAQ.

View All FAQs →

NEXT STEP

See Whether
We Fit Your Project

Share your research question, design and any materials you have. A statistically trained Research Coordinator reviews them and confirms scope, timeline and fixed project fee before anything begins.

No Commitment Required

Strictly Confidential

Fixed Project Fee

In-House PhD-Level Statisticians

Same-Day Response

Serving Researchers Since 2014