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)

This monograph for institutional researchers on questionnaire survey research aims to be both a guide to the basic steps of survey research and a useful reference tool. The monograph is in an informal, question and answer format and organized around the various steps of the survey research process. Chapter I discusses planning the survey including…

A survey of 70 universities in 15 countries concerning the use of performance indicators is reported. The indicators being used are classified, their use in internal and external decision making is analyzed, and some of the most frequently used indicators are examined in detail for their construction and problems of use. (MSE)

Educational approaches to social work in the United States are compared with programs in South America. The first half of the document discusses a 1981 survey conducted by Argentine Professor Alayon. Questionnaires were sent to 236 schools in 21 Latin American countries. Data are based on 46 responses from 13 countries concerning status of the…

This paper briefly reviews the learning outcome aspects of seven recent follow-up studies completed for seven different transfer discipline areas at William Rainey Harper College (Illinois). It notes an increasing interest by the field of institutional research in evaluating how students learn. Faculty in the fields of psychology, English,…

Study-abroad programs are among the many academic programs being evaluated in the assessment of colleges and universities. One evaluative tool is the survey of students who participate in these programs. This paper discusses the use of such surveys by St. Mary's College (Indiana) during the past decade to gather information regarding program…

A three-part study conducted at a medium-sized, Christian comprehensive college in Michigan (Calvin College) examined the college choice process including why students apply but do not enroll, as well as the reasons why students enroll. Subjects consisted of: (1) those who made multiple inquiries and had multiple contacts with the college but did…

This study compared 4,594 student responses from three different surveys of incoming students at the University of South Florida (USF) with data from Florida's State University System (SUS) admissions files to determine what proportion of error occurs in the survey responses. Specifically, the study investigated the amount of measurement error in…

This publication explores a general model for a comprehensive program comprising identification, recruitment, retention, and graduation of minority graduate students and includes examples of specific activities carried out by a variety of institutions in support of this model. The model and examples are based on a 1992 Council of Graduate Schools…