| The Office of Institutional Research and Planning (IRP) at the University of Louisville is responsible for answering both external and internal requests for institutional information. One of the primary goals of the acting director is to relieve the four analysts from answering requests that the requestors could answer themselves if the data were readily available. The proposed solution is a web-based reporting tool that allows users to query, view, and download the data. This thesis introduces an XML-based reporting architecture for data translation, presentation, and code documentation.; Institutional statistics begin, in raw form, as extracts from the UofL PeopleSoft database. The PeopleSoft data is then translated into a standardized format for the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). IRP analysts use the SAS statistical analysis software package to produce the finalized datasets sent to the CPE for enrollment and degrees conferred. These datasets are converted to XML and imported into the reporting tool relational database. The web-based reporting module is built on the ColdFusion MX platform with strict adherence to the Fusebox development methodology. The reports are dynamically constructed based on parameters defined by the user either explicitly or based on their navigational decisions. Each report is an XML file and, by default, a corresponding XSL transformation is applied to present the reports as html. However, the user may download the report in another data format by changing a single parameter. Currently, the reporting tool supports XML and Excel data formats.; The reporting tool is a prototypical proof-of-concept solution, designed to inform an ongoing business intelligence discussion within the university community. The initial reactions to the reporting tool have been positive, and each unit already has pending requests for new reporting functionality, additional data fields, and enhancements. Fortunately, the reporting tool was built to be scaled and extended!... |
