“Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.” - W. Edwards DemingMy life is driven by data. In my personal life, data determines what I decide to buy, where to eat, or when it might stop raining long enough in Portland to take my dog for a run. Or in my work life, data helps me determine new ways to partner with research institutions more effectively. One reason I enjoy working in research intelligence is my innate drive to use data to support decisions. My clients are looking for insights via analytics to improve their institution’s research strategy and impact. They have complicated questions, such as:• What are my institution’s research strengths and challenges?• How can we identify collaborators?• How can we best showcase our research expertise? And - like me - they are seeking a comprehensive understanding of all available and relevant data to answer these questions as objectively as possible.I have the privilege of leading a team of experts who specialize in understanding what data is available for research leaders, what tools can be used to best analyze that data, and what types of insights that information can provide. We dive into complicated questions and find answers that are supported with accurate, in-depth analyses.I’m always interested to talk with research leaders about the questions that are keeping them up at night. If you have a question you’re trying to address, email me (j.mathis@elsevier.com) or send me a message through LinkedIn.