About DataFest
The American Statistical Association DataFest is a nationwide data analysis competition where teams of up to five students attack a complex dataset provided by an industry partner.
The mission of DataFest is to expose students to challenging questions with immediate real-world significance that can be addressed through data analysis. By working in teams, students with varying skill sets will combine their efforts and expand their collective data analysis horizons. Interaction among students, as well as with outside consultants will promote the sense that data analysis is a dynamic, engaging, and vibrant part of our society, as well as a realistic, practical, and fun career path.
The Oregon event is hosted at Oregon State University but welcomes teams from any school in Oregon.
Start: Friday, April 15th, 2016, 7:30 pm
Finish: Sunday, April 17th, 2016, 4 pm
Venue: Weniger Hall
What can I win?
Cash prizes, fame, glory, or some combination thereof … And you get a free t-shirt!
What do I need to compete?
All you need is a laptop with tools for data analysis (there is no limitation on which software you use, but we will have a couple of workshops on specific tools in R) and enthusiasm for data.
What will the data be about?
Shhhhh…it’s a secret! The data will remain a surprise until the opening event on the Friday the 15th of April. Previous years’ data sets have included crime data from the LAPD, dating data from eHarmony, and energy use data from GridPoint. This year’s data set will be revealed at the opening of the event on Friday evening.
Rules
The rules are very simple:
- At least three and no more than five students per team.
- Team members can come and go as they please but all work has to be done on-site. A steady supply of food, beverage, and candy make it more inviting to stay.
- It’s a competition, but a friendly one, so collaboration between teams is not only allowed but highly encouraged. Official DataFest consultants (grad students, faculty, etc.) will also be around throughout the weekend to help with any questions you might have. However you can’t have outside help.
Event Details
On Friday night we will start with a reception where your surprise client will give a brief introduction to the data you will be working with over the weekend and tell you a bit about what they would like to get out of it. The data will likely be much more complex than what you are used to seeing in your classes, and you will be given free reign to analyze it however you like. In other words, you will come up with a research question that is of interest to you, and conduct the appropriate analysis to answer your question. But you are welcomed, and encouraged, to take cues from the client’s introduction when shaping your research question(s).
Presentations and judging will begin at 2:00pm on Sunday. Each team will give a brief (6 minute) presentation of their findings to a panel of judges comprised of faculty and professionals from a variety of fields. There will be prizes in many categories, such as best visualization, best use of external data, and best findings. A finalized list of categories will be announced at the beginning of the competition.
Contact
For questions or more information, get in touch with Charlotte Wickham at wickhamc@stat.oregonstate.edu