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Informationen zum Autor E. Jane Davidson is an internationally recognized evaluation specialist, best known for developing evaluation rubrics as a methodology for drawing conclusions about quality and value. She has also made significant contributions in the areas of causal inference for qualitative and mixed methods, and in synthesis methodologies for evaluation. Dr. Davidson is sought after internationally as a speaker and workshop presenter for her signature approach of methodologically robust but refreshingly practical evaluation with breathtaking clarity. She has presented keynotes and invited workshops in the US, Canada, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Singapore, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. She is former Associate Director of the internationally recognized Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University, where she launched and directed the world’s first fully Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation. She was the 2019 recipient of the American Evaluation Association’s prestigious Paul F. Lazarsfeld Evaluation Theory Award. Klappentext Evaluation Methodology Basics: The Nuts and Bolts of Sound Evaluation provides a step-by-step guide for doing a real evaluation. It focuses on the main kinds of "big picture" questions that evaluators usually need to answer, and how the nature of such questions is linked to evaluation methodology choices. Jane Davidson explains how to combine a mix of qualitative and quantitative data with "relevant values" (such as needs) to draw explicitly evaluative conclusions. The book presents readers with useful rubrics and flowcharts that may be used during each stage of the evaluation. Many of the concepts presented in the chapters are illustrated with specific examples from a range of disciplines. Zusammenfassung Introduces evaluation by focusing on the main kinds of 'big picture' questions that evaluations usually need to answer! and how the nature of such questions are linked to evaluation methodology choices. This book shows how to identify the right criteria for an evaluation. Inhaltsverzeichnis What is Evaluation? Basic Definitions A Note About Fitting Evaluation Approach to Purpose The Steps Involved The Ingredients of a Good Evaluation Identifying the Evaluand Additional Readings Exercises Defining the Purpose of the Evaluation Evaluations for Determining Overall Quality or Value Evaluations for Finding Areas for Improvement Questions About Absolute vs. Relative Quality/Value Summary and Final Comments Additional Readings Exercises Identifying Evaluative Criteria Why Not Just Use Goals? Identifying Criteria: Basic Concepts and Tools Conducting a Needs Assessment Identifying Other Relevant Criteria Additional Readings Exercises Organizing the Criteria & Identifying Potential Sources of Evidence The Importance of Choosing Multiple Sources of Quality Evidence The Process Evaluation Checkpoint The Outcome Evaluation Checkpoint The Comparative Cost-Effectiveness Checkpoint The Exportability Checkpoint Additional Readings Exercises Dealing With the Causation Issue Certainty about causation Inferring causation: Basic principles Inferring causation: Seven strategies Choosing a blend of methods to address the causation issue Additional Readings Exercises "Values" in Evaluation The Controversy The Three Types of Subjectivity The Tensions Between Subjectivism and Common Sense Where do the "Values" in an Evaluation Come From? Additional Readings Exercises Determining Importance Determining Importance: What and Why Determining Importance: Six Strategies Additional Readings Exercises The Merit Determination Step Determining Merit: What and Why Using Rubrics for De...