Institutional researchers come to their field from a variety of educational and work experiences. Regardless of their expertise, however, it is difficult--if not impossible--for a single researcher, or even a large team of researchers, to know and understand all the nuanced differences among the many disciplines found in a comprehensive…

Institutions are applying methods and practices from data analytics under the umbrella term of "learning analytics" to inform instruction, library practices, and institutional research, among other things. This study reports findings from interviews with professional advisors at a public higher education institution. It reports their…

This chapter focuses on perspectives of external data reporting and their implications for institutional research offices and campuses as a whole. The authors examine a variety of uses for externally reported data and explore opportunities for using these data more fully across the institution.

Higher education institutions in the United States have collected and analyzed data for decades. From mandatory reporting for state and federal compliance to ad hoc reporting for internal and external stakeholders, there are myriad business purposes for which administrators, staff, and faculty routinely gather data. As more colleges and…

While much is known about faculty time allocation, we know very little about how traditional managerial factors influence faculty time allocation behaviors. We know even less about the possible downsides associated with relying on these traditional managerial factors. Using survey data from the National Science Foundation/Department of Energy…

The global economic crisis exacerbated by U.S. sequestration has resulted in funding for research and development either remaining flat or declining slightly. By comparison, collectively, countries in Europe and Asia have expanded R&D investments. The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics of and extent to which…

This case provides an account of conducting an institutional ethnographic study, as part of doctoral study, to explore the experiences of students in higher education, who have caring responsibilities for children under 18 years of age. Previous research into the experiences of these students had focused on a particular issue a researcher wished…

This exciting new state-of-the art book reviews, explores and advocates ways in which collaborative research endeavours can, through a transdisciplinary lens, enhance student, academic and social experiences. Drawing from a wide range of knowledges, contexts, geographical locations and internationally renowned expertise, the book provides a unique…

Vice chancellors of public universities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region face a myriad of challenges that require research- and data-driven decision-making. This paper presents a decision-making model for college and university leadership - The Two-Way Practitioner-Researcher Loop. This scholarship of practice has the…

This chapter demonstrates the complexity of pedagogical and curricular change as it unfolds through several overlapping phases of increasingly coordinated reflection and action around STEM initiatives at Pomona College. It argues for a networked model of research and practice, drawing on theory and lessons from improvement science and highlighting…

This study examines the feasibility of publication imports that may significantly change school rankings in higher education. A small offshore branch campus is used as a case study. The results show that a higher ranking of the offshore campus is largely due to visiting faculties from its parent university in the United States. This implies that…

To whom should higher education institutions provide data, and what is the impact of transparency on institutions?

In this article, Ira Harkavy points to the beliefs that education and schooling significantly determine the character of a society, and that higher education has broad societal impacts, including helping to shape the rest of the schooling system. It is this core idea that unites the work of Benjamin Franklin and Ernest Boyer and serves as the…

Although institutional research has been a significant feature of U.S. higher education for more than 50 years, it is not so well understood in other parts of the world. As higher education around the world faces increasingly challenging times in responding to pressures of massification and globalization, increasing forms of accountability and…

This article reports the results of a nationwide questionnaire survey of 1,104 Japanese higher education institutions conducted in late 2015 and early 2016. Its goal was to investigate the current status and issues related to the utilization and disclosure of educational information. A total of 248 institutions responded to the survey. Based on…