「院校研究」是什么，不是什么——解读美国「院校研究」

What is Institutional Research,and not What is it On the Nature of Institutional Research in the US

「院校研究」是流行于欧美高等教育领域的一个专门术语。就美国的经验而言，「院校研究」可以理解为「是研究者基于本校情境、针对院校运行中的实际问题所作的应用性研究，是高等学校为改进管理决策、促进院校发展而设定的一个专门的实践领域」。作为一种独特的研究形式，「院校研究」有别于传统意义上的「高等教育研究」。它是高等教育研究的一种新的范式，是现代高等学校实施科学化管理的重要手段。

Institutional research (IR) is a popular term in Euro-American higher education fields. Regarding the circumstances in the U.S.， IR is a kind of research conducted in an institution and based on the situation of the institution. It targets at the practical problems in its administration. It is a specialized practice carried out by a college or a university to improve the decision-making and policies for its efficient operation. IR， as a unique research form， is a new model of higher education study and an important measure for scientific management in contemporary university.