A general context for defining and using goals in institutional research is discussed, contributions of authors in this journal issue are reviewed, and implications for research are examined. (Author/LBH)

The expectations and limitations of market research in higher education are reviewed, including its functions and roles, foci and types, constraints of current practice, promising developments, and needs. (MSE)

Some ways in which research on student financial aid can be conducted and used to further institutional goals and objectives are presented. Four topics for inclusion in an institution's research agenda are suggested: recruiting, measuring the aid program's effectiveness, expanding aid resources, and analyzing family financial capacity. (Author/MSE)

There is a need for cross-disciplinary or cross-institutional research on student learning outcomes in graduate and professional education. Challenges in this endeavor include determining the purposes of assessment and who conducts it, identifying and defining outcomes, and managing the use of results. (MSE)

Criterion development is seen as the perennial issue in evaluation research. No other problem persists in the same way or makes the college or university more vulnerable to outside criticism. The need for subjective agreement among users and interpreters and for giving evidence of validity regarding eventual educational outcomes is noted.…

A dramatic increase in the pool of college-age students in the next 20 years is inevitable, but this will not necessarily lead to dramatic increases in higher education enrollment. Enrollment forecasters must ask how economic growth, tuition increases, or an increase in standardized test requirements will affect demand and be clear about…

The public debate on the activities of college faculty is discussed, and a new, more policy-relevant approach to studying these activities is offered. The approach requires looking at faculty work activities as integrated and holistic, rather than fragmented, and describing faculty in a way that reflects the individualistic nature of faculty work.…

Concerns about published comparisons of colleges and universities are organized into a framework to guide further research. A systematic method for addressing specific issues about the guides is presented, and the environment in which the guides are used is examined. Research needed to assure that the guides make a valued contribution and are fair…

Highlights key issues for consideration in institutional research on college climate, including those that affect women, racial and ethnic minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students; and disabled students. These climate issues are also pertinent to majority students in diverse environments and are quickly becoming a regular…