The pragmatic imperative on institutional research / William L. Tetlow -- The politics of information / Cameron L. Fincher -- Politics within the institution / Laura E. Saunders -- The politics of comparing data with other institutions / Deborah J. Teeter -- The politics of dealing with state agencies--an institutional view / E. Grady Bogue -- Institutional research and state government--a state agency view / Paul E. Lingenfelter -- Institutional research, politics, and the federal government / John Folger -- The future of institutional research / William F. Lasher, James W. Firnberg.