The introduction of competitive rankings and research assessment frameworks have necessitated that research organisations continually monitor their research strengths and weaknesses. Such monitoring is essential to be able to strategically respond in a competitive environment. There is little research on the role of research management in research…

Academic administrators are beginning to ask sophisticated questions about the effects of student aid on their institutions. The importance of the research has drawn attention from many sources, and suggests that collaboration between institutional researchers and financial aid officers has great promise. (Author/MSE)

Useful reference material and a list of professional associations are provided for the institutional researcher interested in qualitative research. (MSE)

Conceptual and methodological recommendations for enhancing research on the influences of college on students are offered, including isolating net college effects, studying the timing of change, estimating college effect sizes, examining direct and conditional effects, and the potential benefits of qualitative approaches. Areas for future inquiry…

Understanding the climate and culture of the campus is essential to improving organizational effectiveness. Institutional researchers will be influenced increasingly by research in this area, by improving their awareness, defining important dimensions of the institutional culture, establishing benchmarks for future reference, actively undertaking…

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)

This monograph for institutional researchers on questionnaire survey research aims to be both a guide to the basic steps of survey research and a useful reference tool. The monograph is in an informal, question and answer format and organized around the various steps of the survey research process. Chapter I discusses planning the survey including…

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…

Student culture exerts significant influence on many aspects of college life by determining the kinds of people with whom one spends time and the values and attitudes to which one is exposed. To encourage attitudes and values consistent with the institution's educational purpose, cultural elements must be discovered and understood. (Author/MSE)

A discussion of research in institutional advancement presents conceptualizations of research in the field, describes the evolution of its methods and applications, lists milestone publications, gives examples of major studies in various categories of investigation, reviews strengths and weaknesses, examines barriers to progress, and offers…

Review of literature concerning the use of program review in higher education lists sources discussing the review process, focusing on the links between program review and other institutional processes, and addressing application of program review principles and practices to different higher education settings. Critical factors for successful use…

Successful outcomes assessment programs have many common characteristics. Institutional researchers should examine these signs of success and use them as guides for developing their own campus programs. (Author/MSE)

Extracts highlights about the process and products of needs assessment from 40 major research studies conducted over the past five years. Discusses who conducts needs assessments and why, where needs assessments are going wrong, what has been learned from these studies, and what needs assessments cannot do. (AYC)

Scholars and researchers, in studying colleges and universities, should appreciate the advantages of broader perspectives and better insights in the interpretations and explanations of institutions telling their own fascinating stories. Each institution can be studied from different perspectives and each can contribute new insights into the world…

This paper highlights findings of school effectiveness research, identifies major criticisms connected with that research, and discusses implications for dissemination. An ample bibliography follows. Twelve characteristics are associated with quality schools, including high level of teacher expectation, frequent classroom visitation by principals,…