ELSEVIER Journal of Statistical Planning and

Inference 47 (1995) 3

Preface

journal of statistical planning and inference

The 8th edition of the International Workshop on Statistical Modelling was held in Leuven (Belgium) from 5 to 9 July 1993. As in the previous editions (Innsbruck, 1986; Perugia, 1987; Vienna, 1988; Trento, 1989; Toulouse, 1990; Utrecht, 1991 and Munich, 1992), the workshop focused on the development and the applications of statistical modelling. Theoretical papers addressing problems of practical importance as well as applications from various scientific disciplines were presented. The Scientific Committee consisted of J. Engel (Eindhoven), L. Fahrmeir (Miinchen), A. de Falguerolles (Toulouse), A. Forcina (Perugia), B. Francis (Lancaster), P. Gherardini (Roma), R. Gilchrist (London), R. Hatzinger (Wien), P.G.M. van der Heijden (Utrecht), E. Lesaffre (Leuven), B. Marx (Baton Rouge), Ch. Minder (Bern), G.U.H. Seeber (Innsbruck) and G. Tutz (Regensburg). The Local Organizing Committee con- sisted of P. Janssen (Diepenbeek), K. Lauwereys (Leuven), E. Lesaffre (Leuven), G. Molenberghs (Diepenbeek), I. Scheys (Leuven) and G. Verbeke (Leuven).

We thank the members of these committees for their help in making the workshop a great success.

The program included invited and contributed presentations. The following statist- ical themes received special attention: repeated measurements, missing data mecha- nisms, smoothing techniques and nonparametric estimation of mixing distributions. Submitted papers on these or other topics were referred. The referees are greatly acknowledged. The editors of this special issue are grateful to the participants of the meeting, who submitted a paper for this special issue.

We also thank Professor Madan Purl for his helpful suggestions which contributed greatly to the quality of this volume.

Finally, we greatly acknowledge the financial support of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (NFWO), the University Statistical Centre of Leuven, SAS, and Solvay Pharma Belgium.

Paul Janssen Department WNI Limburgs Universitair Centrum Universitaire Campus B-3590 DIEPENBEEK (Belgium)

Emmanuel Lesaffre Biostatistical Centre for Clinical Trials U.Z. St. Rafa6l Kapucijnenvoer 35 B-3000 LEUVEN (Belgium)