The purpose of this study is to explore key factors that impact the college transition of aspiring underrepresented minority students in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, in comparison with White, Asian students and non-science minority students. We examined successful management of the academic environment and sense of belonging during the…

Executing surveys is one of the most common activities of institutional research and one of the least served in institutional research literature. Survey research as practiced in institutional research faces special technical problems and challenges not embraced in much of the general-survey research literature. (Author/MLW)

The development of institutional research through the past two decades is reviewed briefly and its future outlook discussed, including efforts of researchers to communicate their findings. (LBH)

A different perspective of the institutional research field was obtained from a content analysis of the employment classified advertising published in the "Chronicle of Higher Education." Using this technique, it was possible to compare and contrast institutional research with the profile of the field obtained from the content analysis.…

The structure and process of college institutional research is compared with three different ways in which science is conceptualized. It is concluded that, although institutional research has much in common with science, it is distinct because the dynamic nature of institutional research prevents development of a cohesive body of knowledge.…

A descriptive analysis is given of the authors and articles appearing in "Research in Higher Education" since the journal was founded in 1973. The analysis compares the 1980s with the 1970s according to subject matter, methodology, authors and institutions. (Author/MLW)

A survey sought information on the administrative factors contributing to high-quality funded research activity in 33 high-ranked but changing research universities. Influential environmental factors, faculty participation, research visibility, and key success strategies were considered. Results were linked to patterns in decline, rise, and…

Higher education institutions embarking on an assessment program are encouraged to identify current assessment activities on campus. One method of doing so uses a simple survey to help educate the campus about outcomes assessment while identifying assessment activities in progress. Methodology and results of one application of this method are…

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…

Institutional researchers and planners are urged to adopt conceptual marketing tools to help them deal with situations where data are sparse and time is short. An easily used decision technique is described that can increase the likelihood of getting good answers to the question: How much information is enough? (Author/LBH)

Accurate knowledge of the institution's past policies and composition considered within a broader state, regional, or national historical context can be an advantage in coping with complex institutional concerns. Implications for researchers are discussed. (Author/LBH)

Analysis of 50 years of Princeton University (New Jersey) annual-giving data found most variation in gift size and percentage of class giving can be explained by models based on reunion attendance, class identity, and fiscal year. These models can reveal trends in giving behavior and exceptional performance of particular classes. (Author/MSE)

The study proposes using path analysis and residual plotting as methods supporting environmental scanning in strategic planning for higher education institutions. Path models of three levels of independent variables are developed. Dependent variables measuring applications and enrollments at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are…

A study investigated the effectiveness of two methods, workshop and individualized consultation, for improving instruction of full professors of physics with substantial teaching experience. It is concluded that neither method is very effective and that substantial and continuous expert consultation and investment of time and effort are required.…

The data collection matrix makes possible the integration of functional area data from numerous assessment sources and presentation of the information in a unified composite report. This model is discussed in relation to the various assessment instruments and the evaluation of functional areas and programs in colleges and universities. (Author/MSE)