Consultations are available for a broad range of data science, AI, and statistical methods - from machine learning and large language models to data analysis and reproducibility. Whether you're just getting started or working through a specific technical challenge, the Research Computing and Data Services team of data scientists and statisticians can help you find the right tool, method, or approach for your research.
Working with AI tools and not sure where to start? Our team of data scientists can help researchers navigate the growing landscape of AI tools, from selecting the right tool for a research task to integrating AI workflows into existing pipelines responsibly and effectively.
These short, no-cost consultations are an effective way to get your questions answered, troubleshoot code, or seek advice on analysis strategies or approaches. Support is available both virtually and in-person. Get started by submitting a consult request.
Features and Benefits
Areas of support include:
- Programming: R, Python, MATLAB, SQL, and other languages
- Statistics: analysis and implementation with R, Stata, SPSS, SAS, and other tools
- Data cleaning and analysis approaches
- Data visualization: static and interactive
- Machine learning and predictive analytics
- Selecting and evaluating AI or LLM tools for research tasks
- Writing effective AI prompts for research or coding tasks
- Collecting data from the web, databases, APIs, and other sources
- Text analysis and extracting information from text documents
- Building custom AI workflows using APIs (e.g. OpenAI, Hugging Face)
- Transforming, reformatting, and wrangling data files
- Automating repetitive research tasks
- Research reproducibility and replicability
Support for geographic analysis and GIS tools is also provided through this service through partnership with Northwestern University Libraries.
Types of support include:
- Exploration of and advice on analysis approaches
- Guidance on selecting and using AI tools appropriate for your research
- Troubleshooting
- Assistance interpreting analysis results
- Support implementing statistical or machine learning methods in various languages and programs
- Help understanding existing code or documentation
- Help evaluating AI-generated outputs for accuracy, bias, and reproducibility
- Guidance on packages or libraries
- Understanding and documenting AI tool usage for research transparency and reproducibility
- Identification of resources for further learning
Available to
Support is limited to Northwestern research only. Assistance with coursework or commercial endeavors is not available.
Open to all Northwestern University researchers including:
- University researchers
- Faculty
- Undergraduate students
- Graduate student
- Postdoctoral researchers
- Staff
Please note:
- Investigators affiliated with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center (RHLCCC) should first contact the Quantitative Data Sciences Core.
- Feinberg School of Medicine researchers or those engaged in NIH-funded research looking for support with statistics or data analysis questions should first contact the Biostatistics Collaboration Center for support.
- Researchers affiliated with the Kellogg School of Management may want to first seek assistance from Kellogg Research Support.
The above services also offer no-cost, short consultations.
Cost
There is no cost for this service.
How to Request Service
Please submit a request through the online request form.