Many undergraduate institutions offer individual research opportunities for upper-level students in independent study courses and summer undergraduate research programs. These are necessarily limited to a small number of students. Greater numbers of students can benefit from incorporating student-directed investigative experiences into…

Interinstitutional researchers face a variety of complex issues that need to be understood and dealt with to ensure the benefits of their involvement. Some issues are reviewed and future concerns are addressed. (Author/LBH)

Describes a project which created a database of faculty and academic professional research interests at Arizona State University. Uses for library subject specialists, reference librarians, and collection development staff are discussed. Methods to link the existing collection development policy statement and the database are examined. Sample…

The development of an appropriate research policy for a university as well as for the national and international levels can be accomplished only if quantitative data and qualitative evaluations (scientific contribution, results, goal-achievement) are made available to illustrate research activities. A database is described that would enable…

Current issues in selecting, structuring, and implementing microcomputer database management systems in research administration offices are discussed, and their capabilities are illustrated with the system used by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Trends in microcomputer technology and their likely impact on research administration…

Describes the development of a financial computing laboratory at the University of Lancaster (United Kingdom) and outlines the ways in which online financial information has been integrated into teaching and research. Highlights include hardware used; computer networks; commercial databases used in the financial sector; and teaching and research…

Some capabilities and limitations of microcomputers for use by research administrators in pre-award activities and information processing are described, including word processing, electronic spreadsheets, database management, terminal emulation, and graphics presentations. Cost effectiveness is also considered. (MSE)

The first years of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) pilot project to collect benchmark data on college costs and service levels are discussed, focusing on lessons learned, needs identified, current use of the results, and the project's place in the association's long-term research plan. (MSE)

A computerized system on faculty research interests and activities, which was developed by an academic health sciences center, is described. The objective of the information system is to better match faculty capabilities with potential funding opportunities. The case study is designed to assist other institutions by outlining the characteristics…

Factors important to assessing community college enrollment trends and the future implications of these trends are discussed. Changes in college student characteristics included an increased percentage of women and part-time students, increased student age, and more vocational programs. Colleges must monitor their enrollments using existing…

The use of outcomes research as a marketing tool for postsecondary educational institutions is discussed. Few such institutions integrate outcomes information into the institutional marketing program. In most cases this type of information is used to document actual outcomes, but rarely is it used as an indicator of needed change or success of the…

Disenchantment with and heavy spending on health care has made policymakers more interested in health care research. The federal Agency for Health Care and Policy Research, university consortia for health-services research, and establishment of a national database are elements in a new focus on quality of care. (MSE)

The goal of the project described here was to improve the quality of postsecondary education by offering institutions of higher learning information on currently funded educational projects through an interactive database, the Educational Resources Directory (ERD), which contains information on new methods, curricula, and educational technology.…

A project that identified more than 1,200 academic and corporate research units within Pennsylvania is described, and a user's guide to the project's data file is provided. The Pennsylvania Research Inventory Project is an online data system designed to promote economic development, particularly within the Appalachian region of the state. The…

A research project underway at the University of Arizona is described, and the usefulness of the national data system of the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) to institutional researchers, as well as some drawbacks of the system, are considered. The need for institutions to have data on enrollment, budgets, and faculty/students…