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This book examines the relevant roles, skills and knowledge needed to build the institutional research capacity across the higher education sector globally. The information contained herein will inform IR practitioners, senior level institution officials, and higher education scholars. With a focus on building the capacity of the IR profession, this book´s primary audiences include senior leaders who wish to introduce or strengthen their understanding for effective decision support and staff members who are currently in decision support units and those who wish to serve in this capacity. However, this book also offers detail on the decision support function to higher education scholars who seek to better address how data can inform policy and planning in higher education. Through a broad discussion about the roles and skills of the practitioners, this book will also enumerate the ways in which decision support practitioners can be valued contributors in shaping the future decisions and direction of specific institutions and higher education broadly.

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Preface . Gina Johnson.- Section I.- Chapter 1 : Introduction to Institutional Research and Decision Support in Higher Education: Considerations for Today and Tomorrow. Karen L. Webber.- Chapter 2: The Impact of Global Forces in Higher Education on the Development of Institutional Research. Jan Botha.- Chapter 3: Conceptual Models for IR and Organizational Intelligence. William E. Knight.- Chapter 4 : The Need For and Value of Scholarship in IR . Victor Borden.- Chapter 5: The Need For and Value of Data Management in IR. Kelly Briner and John Rome.- Chapter 6: Let Me Paint You a Picture: Utilizing Visualizations to Make Data More Accessible. Brent Drake, Ian Pylartz and Monal Patel.- Chapter 7: Uses and Misuses of Data. Charles Mathies.- Chapter 8: The Finance Conundrum for Higher Education. Nicholas Hillman and Adam Kindschy.- Section II.- Chapter 9: Professional Development for IR Professionals: IR and Decision Support in US and Canada. Sandra Bramblett and Michelle Broderick.- Chapter 10: Building Capacity for IR in the EU: Professional Development for IR and Decision Support in UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands. James Williams and David Kane.- Chapter 11: Professional Development for IR Professionals: Focus on Latin America . Maria Pita Carranza.- Chapter 12: Building Capacity For Planning and Institutional Research - A View From Down Under. Angel Calderon.- Chapter 13: Strengthening the Capacity for Institutional Research and Decision Support in South Africa. Yuraisha Chetty and Nicole Muller.- Chapter 14: Professional Development for IR Professionals: Middle East and North Africa. Gina Cinali.- Chapter 15 : A Focus on Building Capacity for IR and Decision Support in Asia (China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan). Ching-Hui Lin, Yuan Chich Fu and Jang Wan Ko.- Section III.- Chapter 16: The Future of IR and Decision Support: Ensuring A Seat At The Table. Karen L Webber.

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