The Institute of Social and Economic Research: this research facility, located at the University of Alaska Anchorage, has its heartbeat on the business community.

• Author: Ulmer, Fran

How important is good information to your business? Whether you are in the public or the private sector, information is a crucial ingredient in good decision-making, and ultimately, in whether you succeed in reaching your goals. Providing Alaskans with timely, insightful information about our state is what the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) has been doing since 1961, when it was established by the Alaska Legislature.

ISER, which is part of the University of Alaska Anchorage, collects and analyzes data on a broad range of issues that affect Alaska's people and economy. What are some recent examples of ISER research Alaskans can use?

* An analysis of soaring health-care spending in Alaska and who's paying for it

* An overview of what Alaskans need to know about the proposed natural gas pipeline

* A description of how aquaculture and globalization are forcing change in Alaska's seafood industry

* Projections of how Alaska's population and employment are likely to grow over the next 20 years

* A statewide forecast of construction activity for 2006

* An analysis of what the Alaska Railroad contributes to the state economy

* A report on changes in health, safety, and education among Alaska's children

* A look at how more reliable electricity saves Anchorage households and businesses money

* An assessment of how much Alaska's economy relies on federal spending

The graphics accompanying this article show examples of findings from some recent ISER research. More than 1,000 ISER reports are all available to the public, either from ISER's offices or on its main Web site, www.iser.uaa. alaska.edu. How can you find out what ISER has studied? A comprehensive, searchable list of all ISER's work, dating back to the 1960s, is on our Web site. We have an online newsletter and a large mailing list. We hold monthly seminars and invite the public. Anyone who'd like to be added to our lists or notified about our seminars can go to our Web site or call us (907-786-7710).

ISER's faculty and staff also try to make sure Alaskans know about and can benefit from their research. They make dozens of presentations a year to public and private groups around the state and sometimes outside the state. They are regularly interviewed by the press and take part in television and radio shows examining Alaska issues. ISER also organizes workshops or forums on topics of importance to Alaskans. Recent examples include the forum ISER held on issues surrounding the...