The preparation and use of data needed to make objective, useful comparisons in higher education are considered. The needs for comparative data in higher education, including demands for accountability and strategic planning, are reviewed. In addition, data-related problems are considered: problems of narrowness, misrepresentation, sameness,…

The need for a new function in education, that of the knowledge linker, is advanced. The need for a linker is explained in terms of a presumed gap between the researcher and the practitioner. The linker's suggested role in ascertaining the practitioner's needs and translating the researcher's findings is outlined. Various problems with the concept…