Institutional Research Effectiveness & Assessment

Data Integrity

Data Integrity plays a critical role within USFRI and across the enterprise as it informs strategic decisions made by the university’s leadership and the governing bodies to whom USF’s leadership reports. Data management and analysis activities associated with multiple intramurally and extramurally-funded research projects and reporting of research and development expenditures—most notably, for the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey—are essential to ensuring that Performance-based and Preeminence metrics are met as required by Florida statute.

In essence, the data governance structure over internal and external reporting must be adequate to ensure accurate and consistent reporting of R&D expenditures; failure to maintain a robust data management framework increases the probability that data submitted to external entities is inaccurate, incomplete or inconsistent.  Material errors in reporting data used to measure institutional performance, whether intentional or not, create significant reputational risk for the University.

Role of Institutional Research Effectiveness and Assessment (IREA)

The Data Integrity team establishes and maintains the infrastructure needed for accurate data analysis and reporting--including, designing data tools and implementing data integrity procedures.

The primary functions for the Data Integrity team include developing, updating and performing data quality control procedures to ensure and assure data integrity; working with University research faculty and administrative unit personnel to oversee the accuracy of survey data files and corresponding documentation (e.g., coding on the Internal Form); and, addressing issues impacting data quality associated with the annual National Science Foundation's Higher Education Research & Development (HERD) Survey--including, but not limited to, identifying and correcting system issues, data entry errors, and data collection errors.

In essence, the Data Integrity team members serve as subject matter experts who promote compliant reporting by monitoring the data output used in institutional survey responses, perform trend analysis, and initiate problem-solving, corrective action and containment for identified deficiencies.