Download or read book Realistic Evaluation written by Ray Pawson and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1997-06-23 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Table of Contents

Download or read book Realist Evaluation in Practice written by Mansoor A F Kazi and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2003-06-13 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ′The strengths of this book are the first two chapters outlining the issues around realist evaluation and the final chapter, as well as the use throughout the book of real-life examples... in conclusion this is a timely introductory text on the methods and methodology of realist evaluation′ - Critical Public Health Realist evaluation is an exciting new way to investigate what works, for whom and in what contexts and here for the first time, Mansoor A F Kazi shows how it applies to today′s practice in social work, health and other human services. To show how realist evaluation has the potential to change practice, the author provides in-depth examples of evaluation in adult rehabilitation, drug-using communities, users of family centres and an NSPCC project that provides services for children who sexually harm other children. Within these instances, realist evaluation procedures were integrated into the practice and decisions regarding the content and the targeting of services were developed effectively. Written in an engaging style, this book will be of value to social workers and all those engaged in service delivery or research across the spectrum of health and social care.

Download or read book Realistic Evaluation written by Ray Pawson and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1997-04-23 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Realistic Evaluation shows how program evaluation needs to be, and can be bettered. It presents a profound yet highly readable critique of current evaluation practice, and goes on to introduce a `manifesto′ and `handbook′ for a fresh approach. The main body of this book is devoted to the articulation of a new evaluation paradigm, which promises greater validity and utility from the findings of evaluation studies. The authors call this new approach `realistic evaluation′. The name reflects the paradigm′s foundation in scientific realist philosophy, its commitment to the idea that programmes deal with real problems rather than mere social constructions, and its primary intention, which is to inform realistic developments in policy making that benefit programme participants and the public. Ray Pawson and Nicholas Tilley argue with passion that scientific evaluation requires a careful blend of theory and method, quality and quantity, ambition and realism. The book offers a complete blueprint for evaluation activities, running from design to data collection and analysis to the cumulation of findings across programmes and onto the realization of research into policy. The argument is developed using practical examples throughout and is grounded in the major fields of programme evaluation. This book will be essential reading for all those involved in the evaluation process especially those researchers, students and practitioners in the core disciplines of sociology, social policy, criminology, health and education. `This book is a must for those engaged in the field, providing a fully illustrated text on evaluation with numerous examples from the criminal justice system. Unusually, it offers something for the academic, practitioner and student alike. I found Pawson and Tilley′s latest work on evaluation an enjoyable and informative read. For myself their "realistic evaluation" clarified and formalised a jumbled set of ideas I had already been developing. Although not everyone will agree with the methodology proposed by the authors, this book is a valuable read as it will cause most of us at least to review our methodological stance′ - International Journal of Police Science and Management `This is an engaging book with a strong sense of voice and communicative task. The voice is sometimes strident, but always clear. Its communicative qualities are evident equally in its structure: lots of signposting for the reader within and across chapters′ - Language Teaching Research `This provocative, elegant and highly insightful book focuses on the effective incorporation of actual practice into the formulation of evaluation methodology. What a pleasure to read sentences like: "The research act involves "learning" a stakeholder′s theories, formalizing them, and "teaching" them back to that informant who is then in a position to comment upon, clarify and further refine the key ideas". Pawson and Tilley have given us a wise, witty and persuasive account of how real practitioner experience might be encouraged to intrude on (and modify) researchers′ concepts about program processes and outcomes. This holds important promise for achieving something that is devoutly to be wished: closer interaction among at least some researchers and some policy makers′ - Eleanor Chelimsky, Past-President of the American Evaluation Association `This is a sustained methodological argument by two wordly-wise social scientists. Unashamedly intellectual, theoretically ambitious yet with a clear but bounded conception of evaluation. It is articulate, occasionally eloquent and always iconoclastic, whilst eschewing "paradigm wars". The Pawson and Tilley "realist" call to arms threatens to take no prisoners among experimentalists, constructivists or pluralists. It is the kind of book that clarifies your thoughts, even when you disagree with everything they say′ - Elliot Stern, The Tavistock Institute

Download or read book Doing Realist Research written by Nick Emmel and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2018-06-18 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing together leading theorists, researchers and policy makers with expertise in using realist methods, this book is a definitive guide to putting realist methodologies into practice. Not just an overview of the field, this book looks to extend current debates and apply realist methods to new and practical challenges in social research. Featuring practical, worked examples of how to turn theory into evidence, it empowers readers not just to understand realist methods, but to use them. It will help readers: - Negotiate the complexity of relational systems - Understand the importance and relevance of cumulative theory - Address concerns over data sources and quality - Be flexible and creative in realist approaches - Produce useful evidence for policy. Sophisticated and globally minded, this book is the perfect addition to the ongoing development and application of realist methods across evaluation, synthesis, and social research.

Download or read book Realist Evaluation in Practice written by Mansoor A F Kazi and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2003-06-25 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title outlines the new, emerging realist paradigm in evaluation research & applies it to practice in human services. The author contributes to the development of this paradigm in practice & provides examples of realist evaluations.

Download or read book The Science of Evaluation written by Ray Pawson and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evaluation researchers are tasked with providing the evidence to guide programme building and to assess its outcomes. As such, they labour under the highest expectations - bringing independence and objectivity to policy making. They face huge challenges, given the complexity of modern interventions and the politicised backdrop to all of their investigations. They have responded with a huge portfolio of research techniques and, through their professional associations, have set up schemes to establish standards for evaluative inquiry and to accredit evaluation practitioners. A big question remains. Has this monumental effort produced a progressive, cumulative and authoritative body of knowledge that we might think of as evaluation science? This is the question addressed by Ray Pawson in this sequel to Realistic Evaluation and Evidence-based Policy. In answer, he provides a detailed blueprint for an evaluation science based on realist principles.

Download or read book Realist Evaluation in Practice written by Libby Kalucy and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Evaluation for the 21st Century written by Eleanor Chelimsky and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1997-01-28 with total page 558 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evaluation for the 21st Century features thoughtfully written introductions to each of the main sections that provide a context and synthesis of the various evaluators' chapters. After reading this groundbreaking book, researchers and practitioners will be able to recognize these new developments in evaluation as they encounter them, place them in context, and incorporate them into their own evaluation professions and practices.

Download or read book Small Scale Evaluation written by Colin Robson and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2000-02-11 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can evaluation be used most effectively, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the various methods? Colin Robson provides guidance in a clear and uncluttered way. The issue of collaboration is examined step-by-step; stakeholder models are compared with techniques such as participatory evaluation and practitioner-centred action research; ethical and political considerations are placed in context; and the best ways of communicating findings are discussed. Each chapter is illustrated with helpful exercises to show the practical application of the issues covered, making this an invaluable introduction for anyone new to evaluation.

Download or read book Realist Evaluation An Emerging Theory in Support of Practice written by Gary T. Henry and published by Jossey-Bass. This book was released on 1998-06-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is another theory of evaluation needed? The paradigm wars have left a void in their wake. A new theory, firmly grounded in a credible philosophy of science, is needed to guide practice. The aim of this volume is to provide a new theory that captures the sensemaking contributions from post-positivism and the sensitivity to values from constructivist traditions. The theory presented here is not a slap-dash synthesis of the competing paradigms--it is a new approach. Some of the contributions of the realist theory of evaluation are (1) providing a basis for principled discovery as we oscillate between explanations and data; (2) using explanation as a means for extrapolating findings from one evaluation to other settings; (3) viewing all methods, both quantitative and qualitative, as aids to sensemaking that have strengths and flaws; (4) connecting evaluation practice with the ultimate goal of most program evaluation--social betterment; and (5) balancing the focus of the evaluation between sensemaking and value inquiry. This is the 78th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Evaluation.

Download or read book Interactive Evaluation Practice written by Jean A. King and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2012-04-12 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You′re about to start your first evaluation project. Where do you begin? Or you′re a practicing evaluator faced with a challenging situation. How do you proceed? How do you handle the interactive components and processes inherent in evaluation practice? Use Interactive Evaluation Practice to bridge the gap between the theory of evaluation and its practice. Taking an applied approach, this book provides readers with specific interactive skills needed in different evaluation settings and contexts. The authors illustrate multiple options for developing skills and choosing strategies, systematically highlighting the evaluator′s three roles as decision maker, actor, and reflective practitioner. Case studies and interactive examples stimulate thinking about how to apply interactive skills across a variety of evaluation situations. "From beginning to end, this book is an indispensable resource for those responsible for the evaluation process. In essence, here′s a chance to learn from masters about acquiring mastery. What could be more useful?" Michael Quinn Patton, Author of Utilization-Focused Evaluation "At long last, a book that explicitly addresses the importance of interpersonal dynamics in evaluation practice!" Hallie Preskill, Executive Director, Strategic Learning and Evaluation Center, FSG "As an evaluator who frequently interacts with a variety of stakeholders and who provides graduate-level evaluation training, I find Interactive Evaluation Practice to be an exceptional addition to the evaluation literature and a useful guide to interacting with various stakeholder groups." Chris L. S. Coryn, Western Michigan University

Download or read book REALIST EVALUATION written by and published by . This book was released on 2024 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Knowledge Translation in Health Care written by Sharon E. Straus and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-08-24 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Health care systems worldwide are faced with the challenge of improving the quality of care. Providing evidence from health research is necessary but not sufficient for the provision of optimal care and so knowledge translation (KT), the scientific study of methods for closing the knowledge-to-action gap and of the barriers and facilitators inherent in the process, is gaining significance. Knowledge Translation in Health Care explains how to use research findings to improve health care in real life, everyday situations. The authors define and describe knowledge translation, and outline strategies for successful knowledge translation in practice and policy making. The book is full of examples of how knowledge translation models work in closing the gap between evidence and action. Written by a team of authors closely involved in the development of knowledge translation this unique book aims to extend understanding and implementation worldwide. It is an introductory guide to an emerging hot topic in evidence-based care and essential for health policy makers, researchers, managers, clinicians and trainees.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Evaluation written by Sandra Mathison and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2005 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 'Encyclopedia of Evaluation' recognises the growth of evaluation around the world & highlights all the major contributions to the field. There are over 400 entries organised alphabetically.

Download or read book Doing Realist Research written by Nick Emmel and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2018-06-18 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing together leading theorists, researchers and policy makers with expertise in using realist methods, this book is a definitive guide to putting realist methodologies into practice. Not just an overview of the field, this book looks to extend current debates and apply realist methods to new and practical challenges in social research. Featuring practical, worked examples of how to turn theory into evidence, it empowers readers not just to understand realist methods, but to use them. It will help readers: - Negotiate the complexity of relational systems - Understand the importance and relevance of cumulative theory - Address concerns over data sources and quality - Be flexible and creative in realist approaches - Produce useful evidence for policy. Sophisticated and globally minded, this book is the perfect addition to the ongoing development and application of realist methods across evaluation, synthesis, and social research.

Download or read book Culturally Responsive Approaches to Evaluation written by Jill Anne Chouinard and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2019-09-27 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evaluators have always worked in diverse communities, and the programs they evaluate are designed to address often intractable socio-political and economic issues. Evaluations that explicitly aim to be more responsive to culture and cultural context are, however, a more recent phenomenon. In this book, Jill Anne Chouinard and Fiona Cram utilize a conceptual framework that foregrounds culture in social inquiry, and then uses that framework to analyze empirical studies across three distinct cultural domains of evaluation practice (Western, Indigenous and international development). Culturally Responsive Approaches to Evaluation provide a comparative analysis of these studies and discuss lessons drawn from them in order to help evaluators extend their current thinking and practice. They conclude with an agenda for future research.

Download or read book Evaluation as a Tool for Research Learning and Making Things Better written by Satu Kalliola and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2014-04-11 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is one of the first of its kind to bring together a variety of perspectives on evaluation from a multidisciplinary international perspective. The book, with its content derived from leading experts in their chosen fields of practice, illustrates the potential of evaluation to demonstrate the impact and efficiency of social interventions. Examples are given of comparative effectiveness research, realist evaluation, and systematic reviews, as well as of holistic and authentic evaluation, the use of advisory groups, and qualitative needs assessment. The volume also presents some special evaluation tools used by national governments and which are used to influence a variety of professional practices. The key features of the book are: • An international panel of experts sharing the expertise in evaluation. • Multiple perspectives on evaluation theory, methodology and practices articulated through a range of interdisciplinary perspectives. • A primary focus on client-, patient-, and, more generally, human-centredness. • Practical examples of contrasting evaluation methods in use. • Helpful tips and advice offered throughout. The book is compiled from the work of the plenary speakers, plenary panel and selected workshop presentations at the 8th International Conference on Evaluation for Practice, Eval2012, held in Finland in 2012. The contributors come from Australia, Brazil, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the USA. In line with the traditions of the conference series, some contributions here are joint endeavours from academics and practitioners. Evaluation as a Tool for Research, Learning and Making Things Better is recommended for both academics and practitioners, and will be useful for individual researchers, researcher communities and students, who are interested in and conduct evaluation research in various contexts, including as part of service development programs, and for public and private organizations which pursue good service quality with an impact.