Research Supporting the Importance of Higher Ed Websites

[Mark Greenfield]

As we justify the importance of the web for higher education, what research and other resources do you use to make your case? Here are a couple to start:

Navigating Toward E-Recruitment (PDF)

Deciding on Postsecondary Education (PDF)

Engaging the “Social Networking” Generation (PDF)

Understanding Website Usage in Undergrad and Graduate School Search (Doc)

How College Bound Prospects Perceive University Web Sites (PDF from 2001)

Help me build this list. What other research has been done on this topic?

[Derek Pennycuff]

Yay! Thanks for these. So far I've encountered nothing but support from my institution, but if/when I hit a snag I like being able to cite something more authoritative than my own beliefs. I think I've got a few more links squirreled away around here somewhere. If I can dig them up again I'll gladly share them here.

[Jessica Roman]

Thanks for starting this discussion, Mark. These are extremely valuable resources!

[Nourisha]

awesome. i use chronicles in higher ed and pew internet and american family life project a lot for research, but of course that stuff is limited. trolling for conference presentations on the topic is a much better resource. i find a lot of things from doing regular search engine searches.

[Andrew Soderberg]

For the 'cost' of a name and email address you can have access to several dozen research based presentations and white-papers at our site: http://www.interactcom.com/presentations/

Here are several titles:

Branding and Visual Standards in Collegiate Settings
Social Networking: The Game Changer in Generational Marketing
Generational Marketing from the Inside Out
What 40,000 students told us about their Media & Lifestyle Preferences
Student Learning in the Multigeneratinal Classroom
Enrollment Management
Gen Y Marketing
Email: Mastering the Art (& Science) of Electronic Communication

[Karla Arosemena]

Hello, I also found these research that might fit in this list:

-A Web Accessibility Report Card for Top International University We...

-Managing Higher Ed Web Sites:balancing the need for timely updates, the requirements of institutional marketing, and the development of content (ACM)

Regards,

[Jane E. Below]

Don't forget the Pew Internet and American Life Project. I've found several reports here that are applicable.

I also found a few useful tidbits in this adaptive path report

[Michael Klein]

Many thanks to everyone! This was a verrrrrry useful post! :)