Date:         Wed, 9 Jul 2008 11:24:05 -0400
Reply-To:     Ben <benpub7@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Ben <benpub7@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Is R overtaking SAS at universities and colleges?

Why bother?

On Tue, 8 Jul 2008 15:10:28 -0500, Mary <mlhoward@AVALON.NET> wrote:

>I was just looking at the R web page (OK, my brick wall has really come
down in the past 5 days!!), and noted the supporting institutions;
interesting that there are three biostatistics schools and 5 statistics
programs.   Being from Iowa, I was surprised to see both the Univ. of Iowa
(where I work) and Iowa State University on the list, but only for the
statistics program, where the Biostatistics program at the Univ. of Iowa is
not.
>
>a.. Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA
>a.. Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine,
USA
>a.. Division of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, USA
>a.. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Utah State University, USA
>a.. Department of Statistics, University of California at Los Angeles, USA
>a.. Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin,
USA
>a.. Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, USA
>a.. Department of Statistics & Actuarial Science, University of Iowa, USA
>
>Also, I couldn't help noticing a familiar name to SAS-L on the R donors
list:
>a.. Peter L. Flom (USA)
>
>I wonder why the difference in more statistics programs going to using R
whereas the biostatistics programs are not; perhaps biostatistics considers
itself to be more applied than theoretical?  However, in terms of prestige,
John Hopkins is certainly one of the best colleges in the country, so that
their biostatistics program is supporting R is of interest.
>
>-Mary
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>  From: Angel
>  To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>  Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 2:50 PM
>  Subject: Re: Is R overtaking SAS at universities and colleges?
>
>
>  On Jun 30, 2:40 am, RolandRB <rolandbe...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>  > Is R overtaking SAS at universities and colleges? I hear that it is
>  > but only have to go on hearsay. I also heard that SPlus might be
>  > discontinued. Should we be moving across to R in the clinical
>  > reporting world? It would be good to read of accounts where this has
>  > been done.
>
>
>  At UCLA here's the deal (as I see it from a PH student standpoint)
>
>  Stat department uses primarily R. Im unaware of what they do for data
>  management.
>  Biostat students are taught primarily SAS and STATA. R (graphics) is
>  available as an elective. So any R you want to learn is on your own.
>
>  Since quite a few biostat students end up going into pharma or medical
>  consulting, I can't see SAS being overthrown that easily. SAS also
>  seems to be used primarily by academic researchers (at least in public
>  health), some use SPSS but i'm not sure where they teach it on
>  campus.
>
>  Personally, i do all data management and some analysis/modeling in
>  SAS, but for better graphics/more advanced models and/or bayesian
>  analysis I use R.
>
>  As for reporting, I've used latex a little, and will use it a lot
>  later (dissertation), but never really was fond of direct ODS
>  reporting. I tend to restructure/rearrange/organize only the output i
>  want to display in SAS and then ODS it and put the finishing touches
>  on it personally using Excel.