How to collaborate with a Biostatistician

Abstract

Health researchers in various disciplines often seek advice from, or collaboration with, biostatisticians. This advice and collaboration can vary from guidance on a specific point through to extensive collabo- ration over many years across all aspects of the research process. Anecdotally, the level of support that health researchers request is often driven by the researchers’ own beliefs about what biostatisticians do and what they can contribute. This does not always align with what biostatisticians actually do. In this article we summarise, from our own experience, the benefits of collaborating with academic biostatisti- cians by explaining what our jobs involve and how we collaborate best.