FAQ

How do I sign up?

Click here to sign up. Please fill out the form fully. You can sign up as a 4-5 (gets priority) or 2-3 person team or leave us your information to be matched with others looking for teams. Seats are limited, so register early! The registration deadline is Friday, 19 March, at 17:00.

Is there a registration fee?

No, there is no registration fee. However note that the event takes significant resources to run. So, if you sign up, we expect that you show up! If your plans change, let us know ASAP so we can make your spot available to someone else.

Who is eligible to compete?

All University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt undergraduate students are eligible.

What are the prizes?

Prizes include medals, student memberships to the American Statistical Association, and e-student memberships to the Royal Statistical Society with free print copies of the Significance magazine. We'll have a few other surprises as well!

What about MSc and PhD students?

We would love to have MSc and PhD students get involved as consultants during the event.

How large are the teams?

Teams can be made up of 2-5 students, but teams of 4-5 students will be given priority.

Do I have to compete in a team?

Yes, but if you don't have a team in mind, leave us your info and we'll match you with others in the same boat.

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) and enthusiasm for data. See here for information on the university's laptop loan service. You can borrow one for the event from the library!

What are the rules of the competition?

  • All projects must be submitted by March 28, 2020 at 5:00 UK time. There is only one submission per team.
  • The data used in the project must be publicly available or openly licensed.
  • All video submissions must be no longer than 5 minutes.
  • All interactive dashboards must be deployed online.
  • All slide decks and write ups must be submitted as a PDF document.
  • It's a competition, but a friendly one, so collaboration between teams is not only allowed but highly encouraged.

How do I submit my analysis?

Once the registration window closes, participants will receive an email with a link to the project submission form.

What will I submit?

There should only be one submission per team. Each team will have 6 minutes to present their findings to the judges. That’s exactly 6 minutes, not 6 minutes and a few additional seconds, but it’s perfectly fine if your presentation is shorter. All team members should take part in the presentation. You will record this presentation using any tool you like. The easiest option might be to set up a Zoom call with your team and record it. We don’t expect any fancy editing, we just want to be able to see your slides/visualizations well and hear you well.

Along with your presentation you will also turn in a one-page write-up of your project. You can think about this as the text of your presentation. The judges will refer to these during deliberation.

If you’re also using a slide deck for your video, you should submit that as well. Or if you’ve made a web app, that must be deployed on the web and the link must be included in your write up. In short, make sure you give the judges everything they’ll need to evaluate your work.

Where can I get help during the competition?

We will use Slsck for communication during the competition.

Additionally, there will be periodic Zoom sessions where participants can meet with consultants to ask questions about their analysis.

The link to the Slack workspace as well as the the times and Zoom links for the consulting sessions will be emailed to participants registered for the competition.

How can I communicate with my teammates during the competition?

You are welcomed and encouraged to use the DataFest Slack (where you can create a channel for your team) for communication, but you're also welcomed to use any other app/platform you prefer for communicating with your teammates.

What can I win?

ASA student memberships, medals, books, fame, glory, or some combination thereof... And you get a t-shirt!

Where else is ASA DataFestTM happening?

ASA DataFestTM is growing fast! See here for a list of all participating institutions. If you are interested in holding ASA DataFestTM at your institution, click here to get more information on the event.

Other questions?

Please don't hesitate to contact Dr. Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel, Dr. Serveh Sharifi Far, or David Elliott with any questions.