Dr Sue Finch
Contact Details
e-mail: sfinch@ unimelb.edu.au
Phone: (03) 8344 6994
Fax: (03) 8344 7499
Consulting
My main role is as a statistical consultant in the Statistical Consulting Centre.
Teaching
I have taught statistics to students in a range of disciplines and assist with the courses run by the Statistical Consulting Centre.
About me
My tertiary training is in psychology and statistics. I have worked in a variety of government departments and academics institutions, including the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen where I developed new statistics courses for psychology students. My interests include the use of multimedia in teaching statistics, the reform of statistics in the social sciences, and finding better ways of communicating and understanding statistical concepts. Most recently, I collaborated on the development of Critical thinking with data, a University Breadth Subject. Critical thinking with data is a course that teaches students to become critical users of data-based evidence.
My recent publications will give you an idea of my interests:
Recent publications
2009
- Finch, S., & Cumming, G. (2009) Putting Research in Context: Understanding Confidence Intervals from One or More Studies, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34(9), 903-916.
- Piriyaprasarth, P., Morris, M., Winter, A., Delany, C., & Finch, S. (2009) Trials needed to assess knee proprioception following stroke, Physiotherapy Research International Journal, 14(1): 6-16.
- Ekinci, E.I., Thomas, G., Thomas, D., Johnson, C., MacIsaac, R.J., Houlihan, C.A., Finch, S., Panagiotopoulos, S., O'Callaghan, C. & Jerums, G. (2009) Effects of salt supplementation on the albuminuric response to telmisartan with or without hydrochlorothiazide therapy in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes are modulated by habitual dietary salt intake. Diabetes Care, 32(8): 1398-1404.
- Northam, E.A, Rankins, D., Lin, A., Wellard, R.M., Pell, G.S., Finch, S.J., Werther, G.A., and Cameron, F.J. (2009) Central nervous system function in youth with type 1 diabetes 12 years after disease onset. Diabetes Care, 32(3): 455-461.
2008
- Premaratne, E., MacIsaac, R., Finch, S., Panagiotopoulos, S., Ekinci, E., & Jerums, J. (2008) Serial Measurements of Cystatin C are more accurate than creatinine-based methods in detecting declining renal function in Type 1 diabetes, Diabetes Care, 31(5):971-3.
2006
- Cornick, K.E., Boroditsky, M., Finch, S., Dods, S.D., & Farrell, P.M. (2006), Experimental Comparison of PMD-Induced System Penalty Models, Photonic Technology Letters, 18(10): 1149- 1151.
- Hoekstra, R., Finch, S., Kiers, H.A.L., & Johnson, A. (2006), Probability as certainty: Dichotomous thinking and the misuse of p-values, Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 13: 1033 – 1037.
2005
- Buchanan, R. & Finch, S. (2005) History of psychometrics. In Everitt, B. & Howell, B.C. (Ed.s) Encyclopedia of Behavioural Statistics.
- Cumming, G., & Finch, S. (2005) Inference by Eye: Confidence Intervals, and How to Read Pictures of Data. American Psychologist, 60: 170-180.
- Fidler, F., Thomason, N., Cumming, G., Finch, S. & Leeman, J. (2005). Still much to learn about confidence intervals. Reply to Rouder and Morey.& Psychological Science,16: 494-495.
- Cornick, K.E., Finch, S., Farrell, P., Dods, S. & Boroditsky, M..(2005). Modelling PMD-induced system penalties. In Payne, D. & Stewart, W.(eds), 31st European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) Proceedings. 3: 339-340. London, United Kingdom: IEE - Institution of Electrical Engineers.
2004
- Fidler, F., Thomason, N., Cumming, G., Finch, S., & Leeman, J. (2004) Editors can lead researchers to confidence intervals but they can't make them think: Statistical reform lessons from medicine. Psychological Science, 15: 119-126.
- Finch, S.J., Cumming, G., Williams, J., Palmer, L., Griffith, E., Alders, C., Anderson, J.L. & Goodman, O. (2004) Reform of statistical inference in psychology: The case of Memory and Cognition. Behaviour Research Methods, Instruments and Computers, 36: 312-324.
2003
- Sullivan, K., Finch, S., & O'Conor, F. (2003) A confidence interval analysis of three studies using the Alzheimer's disease knowledge test. Aging and Mental Health, 7: 176-181.
2002
- Finch, S.J., Thomason, N. & Cumming, G. (2002) Past and future American Psychological Association guidelines for statistical practice. Theory & Psychology, 12: 825-853.
2001
- Finch, S.J., Cumming, G. & Thomason, N. (2001) Reporting of statistical inference in the Journal of Applied Psychology: Little evidence of progress. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 61: 181-210.
- Cumming, G., & Finch, S.J. (2001) A primer on the understanding, use and calculation of central and noncentral confidence intervals. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 61: 530-572.