There are some things that can make the consulting process a lot smoother. If you would like me to help you, then the first thing that I will need is:
- A document that explains what the project is about and how it was carried out (or how it will be carried out). Any technical terms or other terminology that is helpful for a better understanding of the project should also be explained. You should also explain in writing what exactly you need my help for. If you need help with the analysis of some data, then you should clearly explain what hypotheses you want to test (if you cannot formulate any hypotheses, then you should not have collected the data in the first place).
If you would like me to take a look at some data that you have collected, then I will also need:
- A document that lists each variable that was measured. For each variable, you should explain what this variable measures, how it was measured (if it is not obvious), when it was measured, what the measurement units are, what the minimum and maximum possible values are for the variable (if it is a quantitative variable), what the values represent (if it is a qualitative variable), how the variable is named in the dataset, whether there are missing values and how these missing values are coded, and any other information that would be helpful for understanding the variables.
If you send a dataset to me, then you should make sure that:
- all of the variables in the dataset are explained in the aforementioned document,
- the variable names coincide with those in the aforementioned document,
- all of values have been double- and triple-checked for accuracy, and
- the dataset does not contain any variables that are irrelevant for the analysis.
Some additional points:
- I will have a couple hours per week available to help you. The easier you make it for me to make the most of this time, the faster and the better I will be able to help you. If I have to spend a lot of time just trying to understand a confusing dataset or to clean up some data, then this will slow things down considerably.
- If there is nothing for me to help you with during a particular week, then this does not mean that I will have double the time available for you during the following week.
- I expect to become co-author on any paper that is generated out of the work that I do for the consulting. If I actually do the analyses for you, I expect to be second author.