The Lazy Person’s
Guide to Institutional
Research
I wish someone would have
shown me this sooner!
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Lazy Person’s Guide

Premise

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


My Need


2
Many of us “fell” into institutional research
We come with different backgrounds and
different skills
We learn things as we grow in the job
However, we are sometimes afraid to share
what we’ve learn for fear of being exposed
as inadequate
I need to learn how to do things more
efficiently
(but I don’t want to work too hard or think too
much)

Solution

Bite the bullet and share what we know at
the risk of showing our ignorance
Remember, we are all gentle people here

(The worse you should hear is “bless his heart”)

Who knows? I might be smarter than I think

(or not)

After I reveal my discoveries, then it will be
your turn

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OK

I’ll Start
Make Your Life Easier ─ Discover the
Wonders of Copy and Paste

My rule
try copying and pasting first
• Example: PREP Query
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/InteractiveTo
ols/PREP/menu.htm Go to next
screen before
clicking on link
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PREP1 Query Results
[ Downloadable Results ] [ Change Parameters ] [ Start new Query ] [ Return to Menu ]
Profile
310 - (C) ENROLLMENT DATA
Report
005 - TOTAL HEADCOUNT
FICE
003627 - TEMPLE COLLEGE
Item Description
Item
Code
TOTAL HEADCOUNT (NON
DUPLICATIVE)
215
TOTAL
Fall2004
Fall2003
Fall2002
Fall2001
Fall2000
4,068
3,932
3,664
3,579
3,381
4,068
3,932
3,664
3,579
3,381
[ Downloadable Results ] [ Change Parameters ] [ Start new Query ] [ Return to Menu ]
To download the delimited data for this query, click [Downloadable Results] above and save the
resulting file to your local machine.
5
keep going
*Gonzo Computer Application

You could download the information

To download the delimited data for
this query, click [Downloadable
Results] above and save the resulting
file to your local machine.
* Gonzo computing is doing what it takes to get the job done. (not necessarily the
“correct” way)
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keep going

But they don’t tell what to do with the
file. In my case it meant
1.opening the file
2.selecting all
3.copying
4.pasting into excel
5.and converting using “text to columns”

Or, you could highlight the table on the
website then copy and paste directly
into an Excel file
Now you can Click on the button to check out Prep On-line
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or go to next slide
Other uses of Copy and
Paste

Copy tables from program to program
(internet, word, publisher, etc.)


Copy web addresses to word or excel

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If you can’t copy straight to the
program you want, try copying from
program to program to program
(Adobe to MS Word to Excel)
http://www.texas-air.org/ (copy, paste,
and space)
Lazy Person’s Mantra:
Let Someone Else Do Your Work For You
But give them credit


THECB (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board)

Texas Higher Education Data
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http://www.txhighereddata.org/
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Accountability System

http://www.txhighereddata.org/Interactive/Accountability/


Prep Online
Institutional Effectiveness

http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/AAR/UndergraduateEd/IE/
CDR and TWC (Career Development Resources and Texas
Workforce commission)
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Socrates http://socrates.cdr.state.tx.us/
(don’t click on Socrates until you see the 3 next slides)
Tracer http://www.tracer2.com/
SOCRATES software is designed as a tool to assist local Texas
planners perform a regional labor market analysis. SOCRATES is
useful for local workforce planning under the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) to generate lists of Targeted Industries and
Targeted Occupations:
IGNORE THIS
Check
this
out
Complimentary labor market analysis tools are also available in
the SOCRATES system which are designed as integral modules
for additional area economic analysis and career information
scenarios:
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13 pages of “copy and paste-able” information
courtesy of CDR and Socrates
County Narrative Profile
Bell County Report
What are County Narrative Profiles?
The Career Development Resources (CDR) unit of the Texas Workforce
Commission has developed the County Narrative Profile (CNP) as a tool for
presenting Texas county based statistical data in an easy-to-read narrative format.
This CNP module is one of many analytical tools available from the SOCRATES
labor market information system. The narrative approach is an alternative to
looking through stacks of tables and charts which can be confusing and difficult to
understand or interpret. It allows the user to easily request an easy to understand
report on one or more of the 254 counties in Texas.
Geography
Regional Information: The Bell County region (FIPS code:48027) had an estimated
population of 237,974 in 2000. The region consists of 1,088 square miles with a
population density of 218.73 residents per square mile compared to a statewide
density of 79.54. This county ranked 19th in 2000 population compared to all 254
counties in Texas. Bell County is a member of TWC's Central Texas Local
Workforce Development region. This area is an urban county and is part of the
Bureau of Census designation for a Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA
or MSA) by the complete reference of: Killeen-Temple, TX MSA .
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A sample
customized
occupational
profile from
Socrates
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Now you can play on
Socrates or go to
the next slide.
Other Websites That Make
You Look Brilliant

My Favorites
American FactFinder
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/
main.html?_lang=en
 Texas State Data Center and Office of
the State Demographer
http://txsdc.utsa.edu/

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Some People Excel at Excel
Learn these tools

Text to columns

Used to put CBM reports into Excel
• To convert CBM Report to Excel you need a copy
of the flat file from your reporting officer and the
data processing layout record from the reporting
and procedures manual.
http://www.txhighereddata.org/ReportingManuals.
cfm
Before I discovered this, I felt like Blanche Dubois. I often
depended on the kindness of strangers.
And by strangers I don’t mean people I didn’t know, but
rather the IT department.
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Excellent tools to learn


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Filter and advanced filter
 Numerous applications including finding unique
records (find filter under Data)
Concatenate
 Combines the content of cells
Quick formulas and writing formulas
  ▼
•
•
•
•

SUM
AVERAGE
COUNT
MAX
Write you own formulas just like in algebra
• e.g. =(D3+D4)/D4
• * is the multiplication sign
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
Page Setup and Templates

Repeating top row
• Find under file/page setup/sheet

Custom header and footer
• Creating a custom template with a common
header and footer helps you keep track of
documents that originated from your office. If you
include &[Path]&[File] (the folder icon), you will
know where to find it on your computer when
someone sends it back for an update.

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Ask someone to explain Split and Freeze
Frame under Window. It’s great for
browsing data in an excel spreadsheet

More Excel Sleight of Hand

Auto fill
• e.g. numbers, dates, days of the week

Paste Special
• values, links, formats

Keystrokes
• e.g.
Insert date
Insert time


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Ctrl + ;
Ctrl +Shift + ;
We won’t even talk about Pivot Tables
(see Joe Meyers)
Other tricks

MS Word

Exploit auto correct
• Works like AutoText – only quicker
• Format text, highlight, open AutoCorrect
options, and name carefully (nonsense
words)
• Type in your nonsense word hit the space
bar and watch the magic
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
Track Changes
• Find under tools
• Turn it on when you want to keep track of
changes made to documents
• To hide the marks. Turn off Markup under
view
Now is the winter of our discontent
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Deleted: season
More tips

Pesky surveys: U.S. News, Peterson's,
College Board, etc.

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First, deadlines are negotiable, just call
them--the earlier the better.
Second, even if all the requested fields aren't
filled in, send in the survey. Get your college
name out there.
Third, several of the survey publishers use
old material if they do not get new material.
Send them something.
SPSS?



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This hint was suggested by someone
who understands SPSS. I don’t.
If running a frequency or table for a field that has
multiple possible values and not all values are used
then the table will show only the used values. (see
Table 1)
If you want all possible values/response options to
show up in the table this is one way to do it.
You must create a new dummy variable. For Each
case, code that dummy variable with a “1.” Then you
create some dummy cases and code the dummy
variable with “.001”. For the dummy cases, code the
fields with the unused values. Then you must weight
cases by the dummy field. (See second table) All
possible values show up even though no cases appear
to have selected that value (Strongly Disagree).
Table 1
Without the hint
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
The workshop offered useful information and
strategies
5
The goals of the workshop were clearly stated
5
The goals of the workshop were met
5
I gained new work related insights
4
Handouts and/or materials used enhanced my
learning
5
Information was personally and/or
professionally relevant
5
2
My understanding of this topic has increased
2
3
The level of information was appropriate
3
4
The workshop stimulated my interest
4
1
I will be able to use the new information without
further help
4
3
The workshop materials will be helpful
4
1
I would attend an advanced workshop on the
same topic
3
4
The workshop met my expectations
3
2
I would recommend this workshop to others
4
3
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No Opinion/DNA
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
Table 2
With the hint
Strongly Agree
Agree
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
No
Opinion/DNA
The workshop offered useful
information and strategies
5
0
0
0
2
The goals of the workshop were
clearly stated
5
2
0
0
0
The goals of the workshop were met
5
0
2
0
0
I gained new work related insights
4
3
0
0
0
Handouts and/or materials used
enhanced my learning
5
0
0
0
2
Information was personally and/or
professionally relevant
5
2
0
0
0
My understanding of this topic has
increased
2
3
2
0
0
The level of information was
appropriate
3
4
0
0
0
The workshop stimulated my interest
4
1
0
0
2
I will be able to use the new
information without further help
4
3
0
0
0
The workshop materials will be
helpful
4
1
2
0
0
I would attend an advanced workshop
on the same topic
3
4
0
0
0
The workshop met my expectations
3
2
0
0
2
I would recommend this workshop to
others
4
3
0
0
0
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Lazy Person’s Guide
TAIR 2006
Jimmy D. Roberts
Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning
Temple College
2600 South First Street
Temple TX 76504
jdr@templejc.edu
Keep on sharing
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