2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04) Methodology Report. Technical Report. NCES 2006-179

The 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04), conducted by RTI International (RTI) and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is a nationally representative study that collects data regarding the characteristics, workload, and career paths of full-and part-time postsecondary faculty and instructional staff at public and private not-for-profit 2-and 4-year institutions in the United States. Conducted previously in 1988, 1993, and 1999, it serves a continuing need for data on faculty and instructional staff. For the first time, NSOPF:04 is being conducted as a component study of the 2004 National Study of Faculty and Students (NSoFaS:04). The student component--the 2004 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04)--is a nationally representative study of students enrolled in all levels of postsecondary education. Historically, there has been considerable overlap in the institutions selected for participation in NSOPF and NPSAS; therefore, institution sampling and contacting activities for both studies were coordinated to help minimize response burden on institutions and to improve data collection efficiency. This report describes the methodology and findings of NSOPF:04, which took place during the 2003-04 academic year. A field test, conducted in the 2002-03 academic year, was used to plan, implement, and evaluate methodological procedures, instruments, and systems proposed for use in the full-scale study. The 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty Field Test Methodology Report (Heuer et al. 2004) is available from NCES. This methodology report is designed to report solely for NSOPF:04. NPSAS:04 procedures and results--provided in a separate report--are discussed here only as they impact or overlap with those outlined for NSOPF:04. Appended are: (1) Sampling Details; (2) Technical Review Panel; (3) Facsimile Instruments; (4) Item Crosswalks; (5) Endorsements; (6) Contacting Materials; (7) Training Materials; (8) Quality of Lists; (9) Nonresponse Bias Analysis; (10) CIP Code Mapping; (11) Analysis Variables; (12) GEM Adjustment Procedure; and (13) Design Effects. (Contains 44 tables and 6 figures.)