Data Science vs Statistics

The cluster debates whether 'data science' is just rebranded statistics, econometrics, or programming, questions the scientific rigor and required backgrounds like PhDs or physics for data scientists, and discusses skills gaps in hiring.

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Keywords

e.g tampabay.com SPSS scientist.aspx ML COI AWS blogs.msdn LinkedIn OS data science data science data scientist data scientists scientist statistics scientists phd scientific

Sample Comments

darkhorn May 26, 2019 View on HN

Was? As I always said it is Statistics. If you want "data scientist" employ Statisticians.

cosgroveb May 28, 2011 View on HN

Aren't all scientists "data scientists"?

cornholio May 29, 2014 View on HN

"Data science" my ass. It's called statistics, econometrics and programming.

curiousgal Aug 7, 2016 View on HN

You're being downvoted but I do agree with the overall sentiment, people do underestimate data science not realising you have to be an expert of the field (statistics, ML, etc) in order to truly be a "scientist" otherwise, you'll get stuck on the first non-traditional problem you face.

appplication Jan 28, 2024 View on HN

Oh, my mistake for assuming familiarity! Data Science in this case.

fareesh May 4, 2019 View on HN

Data science is probably a better description.

truthteller Oct 19, 2013 View on HN

why would you be looking primarily at physicists if you are trying to find data scientists??

equality_1138 Oct 20, 2020 View on HN

what have data scientists generally studied if not for statistics?

jnazario Oct 16, 2012 View on HN

what's missing from any discussion here or in many of these "this is the new hotness" posts is this: science.where's the science? it is, after all, a data scientist role. where is learning to do actual science?what the world's been describing is an analyst or an engineering position, not science. if you don't know how to ask questions, interpret results, structure experiments - then you don't know science, so quit calling yourself a scientist. science involves a rigor of thinking and doing

apathy Aug 8, 2016 View on HN

COI: author is a "data science" recruiter and the field has not coalesced down to a static definition. Caveat lector