The need for data-informed decisions is not limited to national policy, state systems, or senior leadership of postsecondary institutions. Decisions that impact the achievement of higher education missions are also made by students, faculty, frontline staff, and program administrators--all of who deserve data and information to support their…

This article focuses on the elaboration of institutional research practice, which is an important element of any research university. The study addresses three questions. First, how did institutional research arise, and what is its raison d'etre in a research university? Second, how can institutional research contribute to the improvement of the…

The increasing demand of constituents to conduct analyses in order to help inform the decision-making process has led to the need for Institutional Research (IR) guidelines for community college educators. One method of maintaining the quality of research conducted by IR staff is to include professional development about ethics. This article…

What is institutional research (IR)? One of the most widely definition of the institutional research is by Joe Saupe, who emphasized institutional research as a set of activities that support institutional planning, policy formation, and decision making. Institutional researchers and IR functions are embedded in the offices of strategic planning,…

Regional accrediting agencies today require higher education institutions to develop and demonstrate a culture of evidence-based decision-making and improvement as part of its emphasis on effectiveness. However, scant literature or examples exist to guide colleges and universities in developing such a culture. Cultural change is usually prompted…

This monograph details the process Building Engagement and Attainment for Minority Students (BEAMS) institutions used to craft data-driven action plans to improve student success. More than 100 four-year Historically Black, Hispanic-Serving, and Tribal colleges and universities participated in the five-year program that produced best practices…

This paper presents selected findings from an ESRC-funded research project examining the choices and occupational aspirations of 59 students approaching the end of their compulsory schooling. It concentrates on the development of a choice model conceptualising the decisionmaking processes of the young people involved in the study, whilst avoiding…

Trade-off analysis, a powerful and precise research technique, can help an institution determine the direction in which it must move to change its position within the competitive market space. (MSE)

Tips for college policy analysts include these: acknowledge personal biases; be flexible and inclusive; be realistic but creative in framing recommendations; build an outspoken advisory team; anticipate repetition; see the broad picture and detail; understand that implementation is the key to good policy; and do not surprise the president. (MSE)

Four different higher education case studies are offered as contexts for exploring the implications of the draft code of ethics prepared by the Committee on Standards and Ethics of the Association for Institutional Research and of the strategies for ethical decision making. (MSE)

Information use can be defined in many ways depending on a variety of organizational, personal, and presentational factors. The experience of evaluation researchers provides some guides for practice. (Author/MSE)

Written reports still constitute the primary means of communicating institutional research findings. They may have a variety of formats, but should always rest on a well-documented research process. (Author/MSE)

New technologies have increased the speed with which research results can be disseminated and enable new forms of iterative problem solving, but must be used deliberately and with care. (Author/MSE)

This article suggests that the choice by institutional researchers to use qualitative or quantitative research is often dictated by time, money, resources, and staff and not necessarily with an understanding of the underlying philosophical assumptions structuring beliefs about methodology, knowledge, and reality. These underlying assumptions are…

Institutional research as a tool for supporting management decision making has a relatively short history in the United States and is much less prevalent in the United Kingdom, especially in colleges. This paper outlines the principal roles and functions of an institutional research office, discusses staffing issues, and suggests practical roles…