This article examines the growth of practitioner research in England through the creation of the Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN) and identifies its effect on subsequent developments in what is generally known as the Lifelong Learning Sector (LLS). It offers an analysis of this development as a case study in developing practitioner…

There is almost nothing more frustrating to an institutional researcher than seeing university leaders ignore data. The case study in this article examines how an institutional research office was able to put data to work in enrollment services and produce record-setting numbers of applications, admissions, and confirmations within a nine-month…

This report is a product of an European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) Workshop "Assessing educational quality: Knowledge production and the role of experts" hosted by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) in Oslo in February, 2008. The workshop gathered representatives from higher…

The role of the researcher is reviewed, along with definitions of the higher education research constituency, the structure of higher education research, and the emphasis on research strategy. Researchers are encouraged to develop concept and theory first, and to deal with real issues involving practitioners and constituents. (Author/LB)

Educational policy continues to be of major concern. Policy debates about economic growth and national competitiveness, for example, commonly focus on the importance of human capital and a highly educated workforce. Defining the theoretical boundaries and methodological approaches of education policy research are the two primary themes of this…

Higher education research can benefit from the variety of forms the scientific method allows. Traits include: a crisp, graphic style of writing; reliance on various information resources; the ability to triangulate statistical, visual, and literary data, and to connect past and present; and a dedication to useful research based on specific data…

This is an opportune time for researchers in higher education to examine policy via cross-state comparative analyses. Momentous court, legislative and policy developments that impact state-level higher education policy are emerging at a rapid rate. The states have emerged as postsecondary policy innovators in the areas of student financing,…

Higher education research must focus on three categories-(institutional and system structures, educational processes, and higher education's capacity for change)-if it is to successfully integrate educational research with educational outcomes. (Author)

The University of Montpelier I's 1969 statutes permitting maximum autonomy for the faculties of law and economics, medicine, and pharmacology resulted in a well-established division between the university's constituent parts and an unwillingness to pool resources to effect savings. (MSE)

Performance funding reemerged in the 1990s as a state budgetary method for complementing or replacing other funding strategies for public colleges to better promote and respond to specific policy concerns. It has the potential to correct some of the apparent flaws in traditional budgeting but is easier to define than to put into operation. (MSE)

This volume presents feature articles and other information about institutional research and the North East Association for Institutional Research (NEAIR). The four feature articles are intended to provide a comprehensive guide to doing effective institutional research. These articles are: (1) "On the Nature of Institutional Research and the…

Five criteria for judging college or university performance indicators (PIs) used to guide strategic decision making are outlined. The criteria address: purpose; alignment of PIs throughout the organization or system; alignment of PIs across inputs, processes, and outcomes; capacity to accommodate a variety of evaluation methods; and utility in…

Ensuring the integrity of the intercollegiate athletics program is a fundamental responsibility of the college president. The institutional research professional should lead in designing, coordinating, and maintaining an athletics information support system, and support staff should conduct analyses and prepare special reports as needed to shape…

This article introduces the issue of articles on research assessments and rankings. It focuses on the British Research Assessment Exercises (RAEs) and New Zealand's Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). It contrasts these with systems that are not tied to funding formulas and emphasise quality enhancement rather than quality assurance. It…

In 1998, the Utah State Board of Regents ordered a sample administration of American College Testing's Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP), a test of general knowledge, for Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) students. The pilot test was administered to 3,148 Utah college students who were completing their sophomore year at one…