This study empirically explores the comparability of traditional survey-based retention research methodology with an alternative approach that relies on data commonly available in institutional student databases. Drawing on Tinto's [Tinto, V. (1993). "Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition" (2nd Ed.), The University…

The structure and process of college institutional research is compared with three different ways in which science is conceptualized. It is concluded that, although institutional research has much in common with science, it is distinct because the dynamic nature of institutional research prevents development of a cohesive body of knowledge.…

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…

A study of the use of logit analysis for examining an institution's retention of graduate students determined that when the independent variables are categorical and the dependent variables are dichotomous, logit analysis is more appropriate than discriminant analysis or multiple regression. (MSE)

The use of a semantic differential measure to investigate the institutional image of Tufts University (Massachusetts), both internal and external, is reported. The study focused on (1) differences between the current and desired image, and (2) differences among alumni, current student, and other constituencies' views of the institution.…

The derivation of discipline cost indexes, developed to permit accurate interinstitutional comparisons of relative costs among disciplines, is explained using expenditure data from five peer institutions. How the indexes have been used in one research university's budget allocation process is then described. (Author/MSE)

This study explored how logit, probit, and more traditional linear regression techniques compare in predicting college student retention, using data provided by registrars from a national sample of colleges and universities. Results showed little practical difference among the techniques, despite theoretical advantages offered by the first two.…

The research on college students published between 1969 and 1983 in 11 periodicals was used to examine the substantive topics and research methods preferred by male and female authors. Gender differences persisted over the 15 year period and became sharper after 1975. (Author/MLW)

This article proposes that university department prestige can be measured by ability to place its doctoral recipients, as illustrated by analysis of accounting student placements. Resulting rankings of departments were evaluated for stability over time and against other program characteristics to illustrate the validity and uniqueness of the…

Examines a new approach to university economic impact research that views institutional expenditures as a means to increase the state's skill base, and finds that while the approach yields favorable results for higher education it fails to consider fully the effects of migration. Advises researchers to avoid this approach and use the traditional,…

Methodology and results of a study of administrative costs and structures at Iowa State University are summarized. Indicators of administrative efficiency are examined, including those related to organization, costs, salaries, and intensity of administrative functions. Some comparisons with peer institutions or to other units within the same…

Ways to improve data comparability among national college faculty surveys are discussed. The surveys and some of their attributes are identified. Faculty sizes are estimated and weights for faculty in selected disciplines and institutions calculated. Weights were designed specifically for surveys conducted in 1969, 1975, 1980, and 1988.…

Two competing models of the relationship between college graduates' perceived learning and satisfaction with the college experience are examined, one representing a true effect and one treating the relationship as an artifact of the halo effect. It is recommended that researchers be cautious in interpreting self-reports of learning and…

This study investigated changes in publishing opportunities by college/university faculty between 1972 and 1988 in three disciplines: biology, philosophy, and English. Changes in amount of publishing space available and numbers of individuals competing for that space indicated inflation rates for all three fields (especially biology) requiring…

The extent to which a two-year college's effectiveness is linked to dominant organizational culture type (clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, or market) was examined. A survey of faculty and administrators in 30 representative colleges found that perceived effectiveness is strongly related to culture type, with adhocracy (characterized by employment of…