Linking Auditing and Meta-Evaluation


Book Description

The emergence of new evaluation paradigms raises serious questions about how merit can be established and judged. Linking Auditing and Metaevaluation addresses this concern, introducing a strategy by which the quality of inquiry procedures and products can be assured and retrospectively assessed. Based upon the model of fiscal auditing, the technique is applicable to a variety of social scientific investigations and specifically includes non - conventional paradigms such as naturalistic evaluation. Effective regardless of the nature of the inquiry, auditing is also an excellent means of organizing data, thus promoting theorizing and identification of relationships in that data. Each section includes exercises designed both to encoura




Evaluation for the Real World


Book Description

Evaluation research findings should be a key element of the policy-making process, yet in reality they are often disregarded. This valuable book examines the development of evaluation and its impact on public policy by analysing evaluation frameworks and criteria which are available when evaluating public policies and services. It further examines the nature of evidence and its use and non-use by decision-makers and assesses the work of influential academics in the USA and UK in the context of evaluation and policy making. The book emphasises the 'real world' of decision-makers in the public sector and recognises how political demands and economic pressures can affect the decisions of those who commission evaluation research while providing recommendations for policymakers on adopting a different approach to evaluation. This is essential reading for under-graduate and post-graduate students of policy analysis and public sector management, and those who are involved in the planning and evaluation of public policies and services.




Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis


Book Description

The Fifth Edition of Harris Cooper's bestselling Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis: A Step-by-Step Approach offers practical advice on how to conduct a synthesis of research in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. The book is written in plain language with four running examples drawn from psychology, education, and health science. With ample coverage of literature searching and the technical aspects of meta-analysis, this one-of-a-kind book applies the basic principles of sound data gathering to the task of producing a comprehensive assessment of existing research.




The SAGE Dictionary of Qualitative Inquiry


Book Description

This Fourth Edition of Thomas A. Schwandt’s one-of-a-kind guide to the terms and phrases that help shape the origins, purpose, logic, meaning, and methods of the practices known as qualitative inquiry features 20 additional terms as well as a restructured Reader’s Guide. Key references have been updated and select terms and phrases from previous editions have been reorganized and greatly expanded. Together, the dictionary entries provide a guide to the methodological and epistemological concepts and theoretical orientations of qualitative inquiry. This unique resource is ideal for readers who are navigating various perspectives on qualitative inquiry, working on a qualitative dissertation, or are launching their own investigations into the issues covered.




Resources for Nursing Research


Book Description

′The 4th edition of this extensive text is an outstanding resource prepared by nurses (and a librarian) for nurses. In a structured and helpful style it presents thousands of items from the literature - published papers, reports, books and electronic resources - as a clear, accessible, and most of all useful collection. The efforts to signpost and lead the reader to the sought-for information are effective and well-conceived, and the "How to use this book" section is remarkably simple...the book should be found in every nursing and health library, every research institute and centre, and close to many career researchers′ desks′ - RCN Research This latest edition of Resources for Nursing Research provides a comprehensive bibliography of sources on nursing research, and includes references for books, journal papers and Internet resources. Designed to act as a ′signpost′ to available literature in the area, this Fourth Edition covers the disciplines of nursing, health care and the social sciences. Entries are concise, informative and accessible, and are arranged under three main sections: · ′Sources of Literature′ covers the process of literature searching, including using libraries and other tools for accessing literature · ′Methods of Inquiry′ includes an introduction to research, how to conceptualize and design nursing and health research, measurement and data collection, and the interpretation and presentation of data · ′The Background to Research in Nursing′ encompasses the development of nursing research; the profession′s responsibilities; the role of government; funding; research roles and careers; and education for research. Fully revised and updated, the Fourth Edition includes just under 3000 entries, of which 90% are new. It has extensive coverage of US, UK literature and other international resources. This new edition will be an essential guide for all those with an interest in nursing research, including students, teachers, librarians, practitioners and researchers.




Evaluation Forum


Book Description




Continuing Professional Development


Book Description

First Published in 2004. This text will enable teachers to analyze their own experience of in-service work. It offers tools for evaluating a focused aspect of work, and will help teachers to: explore models of in-service provision; develop understandings of professional and institutional development; develop understanding of the principles of appraisal and review; review and describe their own in-service work; develop and apply criteria for evaluating the quality and value of in-service work; and identify appropriate areas for future in-service work. The book will be particularly useful to teachers and heads, and will be of interest to all those responsible for managing professional development at school.




Qualitative and Mixed Methods in Public Health


Book Description

Designed to meet the needs of public health students, practitioners, and researchers, this edition offers a firm grounding in qualitative and mixed methods, including their social science roots and public health applications.




The SAGE Handbook of Evaluation


Book Description

In this comprehensive handbook, an examination of the complexities of contemporary evaluation contributes to the ongoing dialogue that arises in professional efforts to evaluate people-related programs, policies, and practices. The SAGE Handbook of Evaluation is a unique and authoritative resource consisting of 25 chapters covering a range of evaluation theories and techniques in a single, accessible volume. With contributions from world-leading figures in their fields overseen by an eminent international editorial board, this handbook is an extensive and user-friendly resource.




Scale Development


Book Description

In the Fourth Edition of Scale Development, Robert F. DeVellis demystifies measurement by emphasizing a logical rather than strictly mathematical understanding of concepts. The text supports readers in comprehending newer approaches to measurement, comparing them to classical approaches, and grasping more clearly the relative merits of each. This edition addresses new topics pertinent to modern measurement approaches and includes additional exercises and topics for class discussion.




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