FASTAT: Expert Statistics Without a Keyboard

• Activity Number: 354
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Computing
• Author(s): Leland Wilkinson*+
• Companies: SYSTAT
• Keywords: statistical graphics ; statistical expert system ; graphical user interfaces for statistics

Abstract

Statistical expert systems were the focus of intense research more than a decade ago, but commercial and open-source statistics packages have generally failed to exploit the results of that research. FASTAT is an attempt to combine an expert statistical system with a new graphical user interface (GUI) in order to provide non-expert users with a second opinion on data analyses they have performed with a conventional statistical package. The expert system includes extensive testing for anomalies, diagnostics of model residuals, and remedial recommendations. The GUI takes advantage of contemporary developments in interface design. This GUI -- tested on both novice and expert users -- has no keyboard input, user manual, or dialogs. All interaction is designed for a mouse or touch-screen interface. FASTAT output is a browser-based document with exportable graphics, technical references, and l