This collection contains four papers that describe action research projects in different settings. The first paper, "Action Research: An Approach Called DATA-DATA," by John M. Peters, is a guide to action research for practitioners. The DATA-DATA model integrates features of reflective practice and formal research methodology. The model, suited to…

Questionnaires were sent to the Academic Deans of all two-year colleges in Georgia in order to obtain information on the status of institutional research in those institutions. Responses were received from all 17 of the public junior colleges and from all but three of the eight private junior colleges. Results of the study indicated: (1) 14% of…

An effective environmental scan will improve the quality of community college planning and decision making by alerting institutional leaders to the challenges and opportunities in the environment. Scanning can be done in three ways: (1) establishing a scanning committee to gather and synthesize information to guide planning; (2) sponsoring a…

Since the inaugural meeting of the Southeastern Association of Community College Research in 1975, the research conducted at community colleges, as well as the issues facing researchers, have remained fairly constant. Research has been consistently understaffed and the themes of research have tended to focus on relating student progress to…

A study was conducted in January 1981 to assess the level of research activities within the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). The study sought to identify the staff and monetary resources allocated to research; the activities in which researchers were involved and the amount of time they devoted to each; and those areas which…

A survey of institutional researchers at 243 New England colleges and universities examined respondents' (N=127) views on the current and projected roles of institutional research. Results document limited resources particularly in small institutions. Also, a majority of institutional researchers reported that they were engaged extensively in…

To promote research conducted by faculty, Cuyahoga Community College (CCC), in Ohio, developed the Faculty as Researcher Initiative (FRI). The initial goals of the FRI were to recruit 15 to 18 faculty members from CCC's three campuses to form a research group, assist in the development of research ideas and strategies, and develop a system for…

A study at Prestonsburg Community College (Kentucky) hypothesized that team teaching interpersonal communication could enhance learning for both students and instructors, by providing students with additional expertise and individual contact, and by giving instructors the opportunity to compare teaching methods and alternative exercises. Results…

Despite the growing contributions of community college institutes and associations to educational research, most university-based colleges of education still minimize the value of this research and often contain only one professor whose primary interest and/or expertise is community colleges. To address this issue, researchers should make efforts…

The author describes her career development from mathematics instructor to director of institutional research at a large community college. She discusses the impact of mathematics on her career, illustrates her present job by describing three recently completed research projects, and strongly recommends that mathematics instructors encourage some…