The market is full of vendors selling products each designed to solve institutional problems. But how does one choose the right tool for their institution and situation? Topics addressed in this chapter include: how to gauge institutional needs, how to evaluate products, and understand the available institutional resources (current and future).…

The chapter examines massive open online course (MOOC) research potential, areas of current research about MOOCs, and barriers to and frontiers of future research.

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)

A discussion of the need for institutional research to address student financial aid issues in higher education outlines, first, a research agenda for use within institutions, and then presents a research agenda for emerging policy issues and the role that institutional research might play in positioning institutions to participate in national…

A review of some alumni research conducted at Stanford University (California) and the ways the findings have been used indicates the range of development and alumni-relations issues for which market research can be valuable. It also demonstrates the value of ongoing, rather than occasional, research. (Author/MSE)

Describes how distance education has begun to influence the environment for conducting research about institutions, student assessment, and strategic planning, and identifies challenges. Also presents the results of a survey of institutional researchers regarding ways in which they are responding to research demands driven by distance education,…

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)

The author contends that empirical analyses of productivity have placed much more importance on the availability of data than on the suitability of data. He recommends compiling evidence about the interface of the schooling system and society and then examining incentive structures and tradeoffs among alternative production possibilities. (JT)

The roles of incentives in academic decision making are examined, potential uses of incentives in academic decision making are suggested, and research projects that promise to increase the understanding of desirable uses of incentives in academic planning are proposed. (Author/MLW)

The predisposition of higher education has been to maintain homogeneity and adapt only when necessary. The credibility of an institution's commitment to diversity and quality is weakened when it limits access of minority groups. Creating pluralistic communities will involve fundamental change and require a greater capacity to deal with conflict.…

This chapter highlights some of the issues that need to be addressed when operating international campuses and provides a list of questions to help guide relevant institutional research. (Lists 8 online resources.)

This chapter provides an overview of the literature on proprietary schools; the diverse students they serve, their distinctive educational characteristics, and an agenda for institutional researchers. (Contains 1 table.)

The author predicts some "unexpected consequences" of the vocationalizing of education, arguing that it raises fundamental issues regarding the relationship of people and work in our society. He points up a need for educators and researchers to view vocational planning within the social context if students are to actually have any "career choice."…

Although college missions, goals, and resources vary widely, institutions can assess the impact of financial aid and make strategic decisions to advance enrollment objectives. Such research requires specification of institutional goals and the relative priority of quality, quantity, diversity, and cost, and data on previous cohorts. New…