Summer School 2025: Modern missing data methods: A new roadmap for handling missing data
Missing data are a common problem in health research that can lead to bias if there is a violation in the assumptions about the causes of missing data that underlie (implicitly or explicitly) the analysis. Yet, the traditional forms of missing data assumptions (e.g. “missing at random”) are difficult to assess in practice where it is common for multiple variables to have missing data.
Through a combination of lectures and practicals (computer practicals in Stata and R), this workshop will introduce participants to a new roadmap for handling missing data that is grounded in the use of causal diagrams to facilitate the depiction and assessment of missingness assumptions.
After a review of the traditional classification of missingness assumptions, the workshop will take participants through the steps of the new roadmap:
- Define the estimand if there were no missing data.
- Draw a causal diagram to depict missingness assumptions.
- Use the causal diagram to guide analysis planning.
- Conduct the analysis, where we will focus on how to implement the method of multiple imputation as a practical and accessible solution.
- Conduct a sensitivity analysis to the missingness assumptions.
Prerequisites and intended audience: The target audience is statisticians and researchers with some statistical background, including some knowledge of regression methods. For the computer practical, students must also have a sound working familiarity with Stata or R and have the corresponding software installed on their computer or laptop.
Presenters: Margarita Moreno-Betancur, Katherine Lee, Ghazaleh Dashti, Jiaxin Zhang, Cattram Nguyen, Melissa Middleton and Jessica Xu, from the missing data methods research group at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute & University of Melbourne
Registration:
Discounted tickets are available for full time students. Please use your student email when registering.
| Registration type | Price |
| Standard | $490 |
| Student | $350 |
Registration is now open. MCRI staff and students - to arrange payment via cost centre transfer please email
For all other registrations please visit: https://shop.monash.edu/vicbiostat-summer-school-2025.html
Location:
This course will be delivered in person and online via Zoom.
Monash University SPHPM
553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004