In light of growing concern for the measurement of educational effectiveness, this paper advocates institutional research at the community college level in California's community colleges to answer crucial questions concerning students, programs, and communities and urges trustees and administrators to use research results to inform decision making and policy formation. Sections I and II discuss increasing demands for accountability, point to external and internal benefits of institutional research, and identify questions concerning student and institutional success that community colleges must be able to answer. Section III underscores the value of research to trustees in making informed policy decisions. Section IV summarizes the six areas encompassed by the institutional research function: information systems use, program evaluation, survey design and implementation, research and analysis, research critique, and formulation of emerging issues. After section V identifies three basic ways of organizing a research office (i.e., institutional research and planning office, institutional research committee, individual or group research), section VI considers desirable qualities for an institutional researcher and for research reports. Finally, section VII discusses the need for continuing institutional research in the future. (AJL)