Presenting a Conceptual Model of Institutional Research Office for the Medical Universities of Iran: A Case Study

 The office of institutional research (IR) is an efficient part of universities and is responsible for guiding academic research. IR plays a pivotal role in improving the quality of higher education and universities through targeted research.

 The present study aimed to propose a conceptual model of IR for the medical universities of Iran.

 This qualitative case study was performed on experts and managers at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran. 10 subjects were selected via purposive sampling, and data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews, text mining, and observation until reaching theoretical saturation. The validity of the research was confirmed based on Lincoln and Guba's evaluative criteria. The retest and inter-coder reliability of the interview texts and documents were confirmed at 0.85%, and 0.81 and 0.79, respectively. Data analysis was performed using thematic analysis.

 We developed a model consisting of four inclusive themes, including: information authority, spin doctor, policy analyst, and scholar and researcher. Furthermore, the proposed model had 17 organizing and 71 basic themes.

 Our model with themes and organizing could be used by the medical universities of Iran to guide the measures taken to establish an IR office in these institutions.