Journal of IOA: Amplifying Trends with Data

The latest article published by the Journal of the International Ombudsman Association explores the use of data to support the Ombuds work of providing upward feedback to their organization.  "Amplifying Trends with Data," was written by Jennifer Schneider, who has been the Student Ombuds at the University of South Florida since 2015.

Here's the abstract for the article:

A primary function of an organizational ombuds is to identify and report trends in visitor issues and make recommendations for responsibly addressing them. But how does an ombuds define a trend, and how can one know if the issue is truly pervasive or of consequence? This article describes a pattern of student experiences that was identified by a student ombuds at a large, public research institution. The ombuds mined relevant survey data that were previously collected by the institution to see if visitors’ accounts seemed consistent with those of other students at the University. Exploring relevant existing data allowed the ombuds to report quantitative information to support the compelling anecdotal accounts of student visitors. This article is intended to get ombuds thinking about data collected by their organizations that may support trends they identify in their practice.

(JIOA Article.) 

Related posts:  Journal of IOA Moves to Piecemeal Publication Schedule; University of South Florida Reopens Ombuds Office.