Frequently Asked Questions

How and when can I make an appointment to see a consultant?

Contact ISO via email (statconsulting@ad.uiuc.edu) or phone (217-333-5703) at least a couple of business days before the day you intend to come in. Identify yourself (your name and affiliation, e.g. are you a student or faculty/staff at UIUC?) and indicate which day(s) and times you would prefer to come in. It would also be helpful if you could give a short description of your problem.

We do not recommend walk-ins since the consultant on duty may already be working with a client or on a project at that time and may not be able to assist you.

Note that ISO is open only when regular classes are in session (Fall, Spring and Summer II Terms) at UIUC. During breaks, limited consulting is available with the director, manager or other faculty.

Can I get assistance if I'm located a fair distance away?

Although a face-to-face meeting is the most efficient way for us to understand our client's needs, we realize that it is not always feasible. Consulting can be conducted through email and phone meetings for non-local clients. Any assistance (beyond initial inquiries) provided via email or phone counts the same as a face-to-face consultation. For clients outside of UIUC, a deposit may be required before work begins.

Travel to the client site can be arranged depending on the availability of ISO staff. Contact our director (Professor Annie Qu, anniequ@illinois.edu) or manager (Dr. Maria Muyot, muyot@illinois.edu) for further information.

What should I expect from the first meeting?

The first meeting is mostly exploratory. Be prepared to present the background for your research and to explain the problem. Since the consultant may not be familiar with the terms used in your area of research, please explain concepts in layman's terms.

Be realistic. Be thorough in explaining the problem to make sure that the consultant understands what you're asking. The purpose of this meeting is for the consultant to gather as much background information as possible to be able to assist you with your research.

Projects that require ISO to analyze the data may take some time to complete depending on the complexity of the data and analyses, and on existing work load of the consultants. Let the consultant know of your time constraints. Do not wait until the last minute to seek help.

If you are on a tight budget, let the consultant know. Ask for a cost estimate if you need one.

What should I bring to the first meeting?

Before the meeting, assemble background material about your project. Make copies of materials that you can leave with the consultant. Prepare a list of questions that you want answered.

If you already have data to be analyzed, bring the data in electronic format (Excel spreadsheet, ACCESS database, SAS or SPSS data set, or ASCII file on a CD, USB memory key, etc.). If you've already run some analyses, bring your program and results also.

I'm stuck on my Statistics homework assignment; can you help me?

ISO does not provide assistance on course work. Seek assistance from your professor or TA. The Department of Statistics office may also be able to help find tutors.