As institutional research or outcome assessment becomes more commonplace in institutions of higher education, the issue of what opportunities this presents to researchers desiring to move past relatively routine reporting into the more creative aspects of the profession becomes more prominent. Several possible roles emerge as a result of the assessment implementation process: Implementation Team Coordinator; Institutional Planner; Departmental Activity Facilitator; and Assessment Data Gatherer. Each role varies in its attractiveness in assisting professional development and what is usually expected from individuals within these roles. Of particular interest are the two most common roles the institutional researcher will be asked to play in terms of institutional effectiveness and outcomes assessment: the Assessment Data-Gatherer Role and the Institutional Planner Role. Also included are two assessment matrixes: one is an example of an assessment plan for an accounting department and the other is a matrix showing whose responsibility it is to provide data, what type of data, and for which departments or services. Contains 19 references. (GLR)