AIR Code of Ethics

Every day, we all make a series of choices -- some large, some small. As we make these decisions, we draw upon our own life experiences as well as the experiences and guidance of others. As a profession, institutional research is not immune from having to make such choices. In fact, many of the decisions we have to make, as institutional researchers, on a daily basis have an ethical component to them. We are obligated to protect human subjects; to honor confidentiality and anonymity; to report and present data accurately; to not misuse information and ensure that others don't as well; to abide by not only the letter but the spirit of the law; and to treat our colleagues, institutions, and peers in an ethical, respectful fashion. Indeed, one might argue that having a code of ethics defines the very nature of a profession. Such is the case in institutional research.

The Preamble of the AIR Code of Ethics, first approved by the membership in 1992 and updated in 2001, begins with the following paragraph, which nicely summarizes the intent and scope of our professional code:

"The Code of Ethics of the Association for Institutional Research was developed to provide members of the Association with some broad ethical statements with which to guide their professional lives and to identify relevant considerations when ethical uncertainties arise. It also provides a means for individuals new to the profession to learn about the ethical principles and standards that should guide the work of institutional researchers."

One of my responsibilities as Vice President of AIR is to oversee the work of our Ethics Committee. In turn, I would encourage all AIR members to read or revisit our Code and to use the principles stated in this important document to guide our work on a daily basis. The AIR Code of Ethics can be found at: http://www.airweb.org/CodeOfEthics.

James F. Trainer
Vice President, AIR
james.trainer@villanova.edu