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…

Policy analysis is a two-stage process of (1) diagnosing the problem and (2) unraveling the parts in it played by the policy issue, environment, factors affecting implementation, and proposed alternatives. In higher education, this requires a thorough understanding of the unique higher education environment. (MSE)

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)

This report presents findings from a study conducted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) on how well prepared today's community colleges are in moving toward the greater use of data and research to improve student success. Data for the study were drawn from two major sources: first, an e-mail survey of college administrators…

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)

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…

Ethnographic interviews offer the academic decision maker an alternative lens with which to gather information, develop hypotheses, and implement plans. Specific procedures must be followed to use the technique properly, and other research methods should accompany the ethnographic interview for increased validity. (MSE)

The selection of appropriate data sources for institutional research is discussed. It is suggested that the provision of timely, accurate information for administrative decision-making depends on the researcher's ability to determine which data are relevant to the problem. This is of particular concern for institutional researchers because they…

Film audience research complements institutional research, verifying scholarship on the meanings films have to viewers and providing broad-based explanations of film images. Most important, such research focuses on the decision and motivation processes people use before they set foot in the movie theater, thereby helping to construct a context…

Project conducted pursuant to a contract with the U.S. Office of Education under PL 89-329, Title III.

The purposes and nature of institutional research are described as well as its role in institutional governance and of the contributions it can make to the functioning of postsecondary institutions. The first section in the booklet discusses the nature and purposes of institutional research by describing several forms of research and comparing and…

In the past, almost all student follow-up studies have been cross institutional or very broad in nature. The target has consisted of populations of graduates, dropouts, or longitudinal entering classes. The output measures have centered around continued education of the population, job situation, mobility, reason for leaving, or a general…

In order to explore possible impacts of changing information technology on the role of the institutional research analyst, three institutional research foundations, measurement, human information processing, and decision support technology are examined. (Author/MLW)

Presents an annotated bibliography of ERIC materials, covering problems, practices, and priorities in institutional research; the role of the institutional research office; and research guidelines and procedures. (DMM)

Results of an attitude survey concerning the impact of quantification trends on the administration of higher education and guidelines for administrators are presented. Sixty-three academic deans from eight midwestern institutions responded to 12 survey statements describing possible relationships between quantification and selected administrative…