Interest in Total Quality Management (TQM) at institutions of higher education has been stressed in recent years as an important area of activity for institutional researchers. Two previous AIR Forum papers have presented some of the statistical and graphical methods used for TQM. This paper, the third in the series, first discusses some of the statistical and graphical methods used by practitioners of Total Quality Management but which are also useful to institutional research in general. It then introduces Taguchi methods of evaluation, including information on the availability of supporting computer software programs. The concept of "conversational" as opposed to "listening" or passive statistical and graphical techniques is pursued. In particular, the paper considers general statements about experimental designs by noting a case study (a manufacturing application) and including some factorial designs using the Taguchi methodology of orthogonal arrays. Supportive computer software designed for use in developing and analyzing experimental designs, Taguchi methods, and their associated graphics are identified. Contains 24 references. (GLR)