Perspectives concerning data collection in postsecondary education management and planning are considered. It is suggested that one of the dangers in data collection operations is collecting data without knowing why. It is argued that unless one knows in advance what is being measured and the purposes of measurement, data should not be collected. Principles that are followed in New York include the following: before data are collected, an attempt is made to determine whether or not that data are going to help make a decision or influence a decision; an attempt is made to feed back information on how the data were used to the institutions that furnish the data; and data collection costs to the institution are estimated. Data are collected in New York in relationship to four different kinds of activities: measuring progress toward goals, for purposes of accountability, for decision-making, and for planning. Much of the state's data collection activities are designed to measure, by institution and by sector, progress toward four goals for postsecondary education: open access, maintenance of a comprehensive system including all types of institutions to match all types of student needs; provision of special educational opportunities for persons from groups excluded previously from higher education; and commitment to excellence and quality. Specific ways in which data collection supports these goals are discussed. New York's long-range goal is to implement the National Center for Higher Education Management System (NCHEMS) planning model online, which involves getting most of the institutions into the NCHEMS format and minimizing data requirements to the kinds of questions that will likely be needed on a regular basis. (SW)