This multi-level, longitudinal study investigated the ecumenical worldview development of 13,932 students enrolled in one of 126 institutions. Results indicated that the final hierarchical linear model, consisting of institution-and-student-level predictors as well as slopes explaining the relationships among some of these predictors, explained…

This paper demonstrates a formal statistical test that can be used to help researchers make decisions about alternative statistical model specifications. This test is commonly used by researchers who would like to test whether adding new variables to a model improves the model fit. However, we demonstrate that this formal test can also be employed…

The study explored the factors that relate to the likelihood of institutional researchers (IRs) to plan to leave their jobs. Learning more about the effects on IR job turnover can serve to improve the employment experience of IR practitioners, the profession of IR, and, indirectly, higher education. 1,264 IRs responded to a national survey…

What transpires when an institution of higher education is the defendant in a class action suit charging prejudicial treatment of a minority group is summarized. A demonstration of how the plaintiffs can use the institution's own data to establish a prima facie case for disparate treatment is presented. (Author/MLW)

Seven institutional research maxims based on research and theory about how people cognitively process information are discussed: more may not be better; augment humans with models; chunk data wisely; know decision-makers; heuristics are not always helpful; arrange tables by patterns; and accept negative evidence and new hypotheses. (Author/MLW)

A study of research faculty in Texas employed the theoretical framework proposed by Alvin Gouldner, who theorized that the most privileged academics hold the most conservative social and academic views. These "gatekeepers" control professional dogma, and by means of editorships and board memberships establish normative behavior for the…

Survey data from 458 former health science graduate students were examined for correlations between variables that might be used in selecting research training award recipients and successful training outcome defined as a highly productive research career. Four variables that showed promise as useful indicators of posttraining research are…