AAIR is the professional association for institutional research practitioners in higher education and other institutions in Australasia. 'Institutional research' is viewed as a range of activities involving the collection, analysis and interpretation of information descriptive of an institution and its activities, including its students and staff, programs, management and operations. The findings of such 'institutional research' assist institutional leaders (in both academic and administrative domains) by informing their planning and decision-making. Established in late 1988, AAIR continues to draw members mainly from Australia and New Zealand, with further members from the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the African continent. Members contribute to planning, decision making, policy formulation and analysis concerned with the management of tertiary education. The broad aim of AAIR is to benefit, assist and advance research which leads to the improved understanding, planning and operation of tertiary education institutions within Australasia. AAIR has the following principal objectives: * to raise the level of professional competence and practice in the fields of tertiary education institutional research, planning and analysis in the Australasian region * to enhance inter-institutional cooperation in the undertaking of comparative institutional research projects * to assist the professional development of members by: - organising an annual conference (the AAIR forum) - developing and fostering cooperative links with the AIR and European AIR - encouraging regional meetings of members to augment the annual Forum AAIR is affiliated with the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) in the United States of America, along with other groups located in Europe, South-East Asia, South Africa, Middle East and Canada.