This PowerPoint guide is constructed with screenshots taken from the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to assist you with selecting and crafting a usable dataset from the IPEDS. The guide leads through two available directions of data collection, although numerous options are available in the IPEDS, including an insite set of analysis tools.

A word about Breadcrumbs:

It is always good to keep a notepad or notebook with lists and descriptions of where you have been and what you have selected along the way. This way, you can always retrace your steps and then find your way home again. You want to keep lists of the data that you are collecting, where you went and how you obtained it so that you can return to it later. It is also wise to construct a data dictionary with your variable names and definitions, which will facilitate memory, interpretation,and writing.

Happy Data Mining!