Analytics Forward - Great Question

During a recent presentation at the 2023 Analytics Forward Conference, I received a very interesting question from a young female AP. She asked if during our book research, Lucia and I had discovered anything related to actions that females and minorities could take or findings that were focused on these groups.

Unfortunately, during our research in the 2020-2021 time frame we didn’t find any research directly related to the practice of analytics. Most of the research we looked into was in marketing, business, and behavioral psychology- all of which dated back to the 1970s-1990s - and none of it mentioned sex or race as variables. Therefore, there was no way to determine the effects of differences in either factor.

However, we still feel that focusing on some of the techniques mentioned in our book can help anyone - regardless of their gender or race - since all new APs probably feel some sort of imposter syndrome leading to them over emphasizing their mathematical competency. Spending time building trust, rapport, and bringing in outside experience support when appropriate can really help them out.

Let’s hope that more researchers focus on these areas in the future!