Using National Datasets

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Using National Datasets

• John MilamUniversity of Virginia
• AIR Pre-Forum Workshop June 2nd 2002

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Objectives

• Become familiar w/ national datasets
• Understand how to access datasets
• Find datasets to address policy institutional
  research

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1. Become familiar w/ national datasets

• Different approaches or lenses to use
• Topical
• Source
• Level of aggregation
• Collection method
• Time or date
• Usage download vs. specialized tools for
  manipulation

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Questions

• What topic(s) am I interested in?
• Do I prefer a certain source for the data?
• At what level of aggregation do I want to see the
  results?
• Do I need sample or population data?
• What data do I want to see by date/time?
• Do I just want the dataset, or do I need help
  with special tools for analysis?

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Understanding major data collections

• U.S. Dept of Educations NCES
• IPEDS institutional surveys - IC, EF, C, SA, S,
  F, SFA, GRS, EAP
• Other institutional surveys Crime, ALS, EADA,
  FISAP
• Sample surveys AES, RCG, NPSAS, BB, NSOPF,
  BPS, NELS, NLS, HSB, PEQIS

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Understanding major data collections

• National Science Foundations SRS
• Program survey for GSS
• Population survey of SED
• Agency survey for federal SE support, FFRD
• Institutional surveys RD, Facilities
• Sample surveys SDR, NSCG, NSCRG, Public
  Attitudes

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Understanding major data collections

• U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture HEP
• Agriculture, Renewable Natural Resources and
  Forestry disciplines
• Family and Consumer Sciences disciplines
• Enrollment, degrees conferred, placement,
  faculty, institutional information
• Food and Agricultural Education Information
  System (FAEIS)
• http//faeis.tamu.edu/

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Understanding major data collections

• Institutional - AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey
• Institutional - College Board
• Institutional - Wintergreen/Orchard House
• Institutional - APPA Facilities Cost/Staff
• Institutional - Association of Research Libraries
• Institutional Program - U.S. News
• Institutional Program - Petersons
• Discipline - CUPA Faculty Salary Survey
  Institutional - Administrative Compensation
• Discipline - National Research Council
• Discipline - CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment
• Sample - UCLAs HERI, CIRP surveys
• Sample - Decennial U.S. Census

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Understanding other data collections

• Other sources include
• National higher education associations
• Accrediting agencies
• Disciplinary associations
• SHEEOs other state agencies
• Consortia - WICHE, SREB, SUG
• Systems - SUNY
• Foundations
• Think tanks
• Media
• Researchers
• Vendors

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2. Understand how to access datasets

• Web has changed everything
• Specialized tools for access analysis
• Different needs in using sample vs. population
  datasets
• NCES sample surveys available w/ Data Analysis
  Systems (DAS) online CD-Romhttp//nces.ed.gov/d
  as/
• NSF sample surveys online w/ SESTAT
  http//srsstats.sbe.nsf.gov/
• Site licenses available under secure conditions

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NCES institutional datasets - IPEDS

• Old way FTP zipped data w/ SAS
  codehttp//nces.ed.gov/ipeds/data.html
• Public College Opportunities On-Linehttp//nces
  .ed.gov/ipeds/cool/ - view by school
• IPEDS Peer Analysis System public
  IPEDShttp//nces.ed.gov/ipedspas/
• International Archive for Education
  Datahttp//www.icpsr.umich.edu/IAED
• Peer tool allows users to create datasets w/
  calculated variables, list of schools. Also to
  download specific dataset tables

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NSFs WebCASPAR tool

• http//caspar.nsf.gov/
• Includes NSFs GSS, SED, RD, plus NRC and IPEDS
  C, IC, EF, F, SA
• Allows users to dump results to datasets
• Visual image in creating cross-tabs
• Includes disciplinary crosswalks
• Multiple source datasets already merged
• Allows users to save personal reports
• Lets users create institutional groups

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Other datasets

• Buy institutional data from College Board
• Buy special peer studies from CUPA, AAUP
• View data online at US News, Petersons
• Download data from ARL
• NRC data on CD-Rom some online
• Get some CGS/GRE, SREB, other association
  collections online
• Obtain from participating office on campus
• Use ANSWERS Information about Survey Developers
  to learn more about other datasets

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3. Find datasets to address policy research

• ANSWERS http//nces.ed.gov/npec/answers
• Internet Resources for Institutional
  Researchhttp//airweb.org/links/
• SHEEO Online Access to Resourceshttp//www.sheeo.
  org/soar/

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ANSWERS
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Contact info

• John Milam, Ph.D.
• Research Associate Professor
• Education Leadership, Policy, Foundations
• Curry School of Education
• University of Virginia
• 405 Emmet Street South
• P.O. Box 400265
• Charlottesville, VA 22903
• [phone]
• jmilam_at_virginia.edu

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Demonstrations of Online Tools

• IPEDS COOL
• IPEDS Peer Analysis System
• NCES Data Analysis Systems (DAS)
• Academic Library Peer Comparison Tool
• OPE Campus Security Statistics
• NSF WebCASPAR
• NSF Academic Profiles
• NSF SESTAT