Data Feedback Report

This data tool allows you to download, print, or customize an institution's Data Feedback Report, an annual report that graphically summarizes selected institutional data and compares the data with peer institutions.

Step 1: Select a Comparison Institution

Start by selecting the institution that will serve as the basis of comparison for the report. Unlike other Use the Data tools, selecting a Comparison Institution is required for the Data Feedback Report tool.

• To select a Comparison Institution for the report, enter a search value in the box provided. You may search for an institution by entering the UnitID or institution name (full or partial), as shown below.
• A list of potential matches is automatically displayed as text is entered. Click on the desired Institution Name to select it as the Comparison Institution.
• Once a Comparison Institution has been selected, the system will automatically continue to the next step of the report building process. The selected Comparison Institution will appear in the status bar at the top of the screen.
• This status bar is displayed at all times for reference. The Change button can be used at any time to modify your selected Comparison Institution.

To view detailed instructions on selecting a comparison institution, please click here.

Step 2: Select a Data Report

• Next, select the type of report you wish to generate from the links provided on screen. You may choose from the following options.

  2.1 View standard Data Feedback Reports

  This option allows you to view the standard IPEDS Data Feedback Report, a document released annually that includes a collection of indicators for your selected institution. Clicking this option will produce a PDF of the institution’s data displayed alongside data for a predefined comparison group of institutions.

  2.2 Create a Custom Data Feedback Report

  This option produces custom charts based on one or more figures available in the standard DFR, including some additional figures. Unlike the standard DFR, this option allows you to select the data elements you are most interested in, and to evaluate your selected institution against a comparison group of your choice. Resulting charts can be downloaded in a PDF format.

  2.3 Create a Statistical Analysis Report

  This option generates statistics based on one or more variables available in the standard DFR, including some additional variables. Unlike the standard DFR and the Custom DFR, the Statistical Analysis Report allows you to select data elements at a more detailed level for your selected institution and a custom group of comparison institutions. You can view your results on screen and/or download them in an Excel format for further analysis.

• After opting to generate either a Custom DFR or a Statistical Analysis Report, the system will automatically continue to the next step of the report-building process. The selected data report type is added to the status bar at the top of the screen for reference, as shown below.
• The Change button can be selected at any time to modify this choice as needed.

Step 3: Select a Comparison Group

A Comparison Group is required to generate a Custom DFR or a Statistical Analysis Report. This group must include a minimum of one and a maximum of one hundred institutions. Otherwise, you will be required to adjust the number of institutions before continuing. In addition, a minimum of three peer group institutions must be selected in order to calculate a Comparison Group Median. The Comparison Group can be changed as many times as you like, particularly if you do not want to use the comparison group used in the standard Data Feedback Report.

• For detailed instructions on methods of selecting institutions to include in the Comparison Group, please refer to the Shortcuts section on how to Create, Save, or Upload Institutions .
• When finished selecting institutions for the Comparison Group, click Continue to go to the next step of the report building process.

Step 4: Select Variables/Figures

Figures are organized in a data tree which can be expanded or collapsed to view the variables it contains, as shown example below for creating a Statistical Analysis report:

This data tree includes all of the data available in the standard IPEDS DFRs, and additional data derived from selected IPEDS data from the latest collection year. The icon is used to indicate data that are included in the printed IPEDS DFRs.

• You may browse the tree by clicking on the icon to expand a section of the tree or the icon to collapse it. To view a more detailed description of any section of the tree, click on the adjacent icon. A help window will open with additional information about the included data.
• A toolbar is available at the top of the screen with the following additional options for navigating the tree.
  • Expand/collapse all: click on this option to automatically expand (or collapse) all sections of the tree to view/hide the variables listed under each figure.
  • Check/Uncheck all: click on this option to select the entire list of figures/variables, or to clear any selections that have been made and start again.
  • Select only variables printed in standard IPEDS DFRs: click on this option to automatically select all variables/figures from the standard IPEDS DFRs for inclusion in the report.
• When making individual selections, click on the corresponding checkboxes next to the variables or figures to include in your selected report.

4.1 Custom Data Feedback Report

For this report type, you may only select figures (groups of variables), but may not choose individual variables.

• When finished selecting figures/variables for the report, click Continue. A count of the selections will display at the top of the screen
• The Change button may be selected to return to the Figures/Variables tab at any time and modify this choice as needed.

4.2 Statistical Analysis Report

For this report type, you may select multiple variables from the various figure sections of the tree.

Step 5: View/Download the Results

Depending on the type of report selected in Step 2 (Custom DFR or Statistical Analysis Report), the output options vary. This section outlines each report and the various formatting options available for customizing the output.

5.1 Custom Data Feedback Report

The Custom DFR can be viewed on screen, or downloaded in PDF which will use the same basic layout as the standard IPEDS DFRs. The Custom DFR can also be printed, by clicking on the printer icon. When printing from the screen view rather than a downloaded PDF, please make sure that background graphics are enabled and both headers and footers are disabled in your browser settings.

5.2 Statistical Analysis Report

The Statistical Analysis Report results are organized under two tabs: the Statistics tab (shown by default) and the Data tab.

• The Statistics tab contains a table highlighting the Comparison Institution value alongside the Comparison Group Median for each of the variables selected in Step 4, organized by figure, as demonstrated in the example below.
• The statistics are available for download in Excel format under the Download Statistics link. The graph icon is available for each figure to display the data in bar graph form, as shown below.
• In addition to the summary statistics described above, you may click on the Data tab to view a table containing raw data for each institution in the Comparison Group (including the Comparison Institution) for each of the variables selected in Step 4, as shown below.
• Click on a column heading to sort the list of search results accordingly. By default, results are displayed in ascending order (A-Z or lowest to highest numeric value); however, you may click variable column headings multiple times to toggle between ascending and descending order.
• As with the Statistics tab, you may click on the Download Data link at any time to download these data in Microsoft Excel format.