Our department Integrative Risk Assessment, Data and Statistics is not only responsible for statistical tasks and data management within AGES, but has been successfully offering its services for years. Here you can get an overview of our portfolio.

In addition to laboratory or field measurements, data is also obtained through surveys of consumers, companies, stakeholders, etc. We have a lot of experience in empirical social research and in the customer-oriented technical implementation of surveys. The choice of the appropriate survey instrument and the development of the same require expertise and experiential knowledge. The expertise from the disciplines of sociology, psychology and statistics in the development of survey instruments (especially questionnaire surveys) includes:

• Design and implementation of empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative)
• Clear and comprehensible formulation of research questions and construction of suitable question formats
• Representative sample design
• Survey concepts that are oriented towards the survey objective and take into account the subsequent evaluation of the data
• Comprehensive evaluation concepts up to automated reporting

Surveys using paper or personal interviews are increasingly being replaced by electronic forms. These offer the advantage of easy dissemination as well as rapid data evaluation. We offer the following services for the professional implementation of empirical surveys:

• EXCEL questionnaires, which are characterized by user-friendliness and input security
• web-based surveys by means of online survey tools, which allow anonymous surveys

Statistical planning of scientific studies contributes significantly to the success of such projects. Our services include:

• Mathematical-statistical system analysis in the design phase: consistency of study objective, data collection, measurement procedures, and data analysis.
• Study-specific sample design and representative and efficient selection of sampling units
• Method planning: advice on the selection of appropriate statistical analysis procedures

The control and monitoring of risks is one of the main objectives of official control systems, but also of individual farm self-control systems. We can refer to a wealth of application experience in the fields of agriculture, veterinary, food safety and human health.

Service description

• Design of control systems according to representative and/or risk-based criteria
• Design of control systems to demonstrate freedom from disease
• Control plans taking into account legal requirements, statistical safety criteria, capacity constraints and control objectives
• Automated target/actual comparisons for monitoring control implementation
• Development of data-based indicator systems for control results
• Development of a regular reporting system
• Statistical analysis of the collected data: (two-stage) prevalence estimation,
• Estimation of intra-herd prevalence, etc.

Service description

The laboratory data collected at AGES provide an incredibly important basis for answering health-related questions. Therefore, these data must also be transmitted to many bodies at national but also international level.

Professional tools are used for data selection. In order to meet the requirements of important data recipients, the data often have to be translated. This "translation" not only concerns the language, but above all the adaptation to standards with defined value lists and codes. In order to be able to handle these complex processes efficiently, a very high degree of automation has already been achieved for many data deliveries. This is done, for example, by maintaining and updating various mapping catalogs that enable data to be quickly translated from its original form into permissible values for the recipient. The data is largely transmitted in XML format. Before delivery, the created files are checked against the XSD schema.

The animal trade is characterized by intensive national and international linkages. The movement of live animals is a major route of transmission for many animal diseases. Depending on the structure of the trade network, diseases can spread at different rates. By analyzing animal movements, surveillance programs can be optimized, but also risk management measures can be prepared in case of crisis. Based on VIS and TRACES data, we can perform the following analyses:

• Descriptive methods
• Sampling methods
• Statistical Design of Experiments
• Methods for statistical modeling. These include for example:
  • Generalized Linear Models (GLM, GLMM)
  • Mixed Models
  • Generalized Additive Models (GAM and GAMM)
  • Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE)
  • Latent Class Models
  • Regression Trees
  • (multifactorial) ANOVA
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Factor Analysis
  • Cluster analysis
• machine learning
• Event time analyses
• Time series analyses
• Nonparametric methods
• Methods of spatial statistics (point pattern analysis, kriging,...)
• Network analysis
• Stochastic Simulation / Markov Chains

Risks for humans, animals or plants are not equally distributed, but always depend on certain influencing factors. Identifying these and correctly assessing their quantitative significance is important for educational work and risk management. A good picture of the main risk factors is, for example, the basis for efficient risk-based control systems, for the design of legal frameworks or for targeted information activities. The statistical assessment of risk factors is based on data, mostly from official control activities, observational studies or experimental trials. With the help of suitable statistical methods, the influence of possible influencing factors on the target variable of interest is investigated. As software we use R and SAS. The central questions in risk modeling are:

• What are the significant risk factors?
• How do these factors quantitatively affect risk or an observed measure of interest?
• What risk can be predicted for specific population groups?
• How much can risk be reduced through interventions?

We can provide several services in this regard:

• Creation of a sample or study design to collect an appropriate data set.
• Statistical modeling using a wide range of methods
• Development of prediction models taking into account measurement uncertainties and sampling errors

The processed data from the laboratory information system as well as externally supplied data are prepared and made available to specific target groups, depending on the requirements of the recipient. The spectrum of reports ranges from standardized evaluations that can be called up directly by the user in the evaluation/analysis tool, to periodically sent reports in the desired file format, to extensive publications. We have an up-to-date tool mix that optimally supports this wide range of analysis and evaluation options.

Service description

Our reporting serves a wide variety of stakeholders, ranging from AGES management to ministries, state authorities and European agencies. Together with the client, the objective and purpose of the evaluation are discussed in order to provide the desired information with pinpoint accuracy on the one hand and to adapt the design of the report to the reader on the other. Various tables and graphs enable a quicker grasp of the data situation and the derivation of trends and developments. We are very familiar with the basics of scientific work and can deliver reports ready for publication on request.