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| Newsletter: September 2009 |
Vol 9, Issue 9 |
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| Join us in November for an update on AEA |
 Would you like to learn more about the future of AEA? If so, and we hope you do, we invite you to attend our business meeting this November in Orlando. Each year's Evaluation conference is the venue in which the board meets with interested members face-to-face and one-on-one. It's our opportunity to update you as a membership and to keep you abreast of recent changes, challenges and opportunities. This year, we are excited to share the activities that have been taking place at the Board and staff level as our organization grows.
The board last June voted to adopt a policy-based approach to governance, effective January 1, 2009. What this means is that the Board and its committees shift from doing operational work (the day to day activities) to focusing on setting and monitoring policies and new directions for the association. The staff, which has been heavily involved in operations for the last ten years, will be delegated with working with members to continue this work. The Board will remain in touch with operations, but will delegate the day to day work. This new approach allows us to more proactively focus on the future needs of the association. Because AEA has had the fortunate experience of seeing its membership grow by 60 percent over the past five years, we recognized the need to respond accordingly.
Because it typically takes a board at least a year to transition to a policy-based approach, we are in the midst of that transition now. Our energies have been spent on reviewing the association's mission, vision and values and actually articulating ends policies that reflect these priorities. We will share those with you in November, along with any specific recommended changes to AEA's bylaws as a result of our recent growth, our refocused vision and our more global view.
This is an exciting time for AEA and evaluation. We are continuing the work and activities we have historically done for our members while taking a more active role in the broader policy arena. We are continuing to explore what we can do for our members, and evaluation professionals at large, as well as current and potential evaluation users, and others either within or impacted by the field. The demand for evaluation and evaluation professionals is increasingly on the rise; as is the need for AEA to provide both a vision and a voice for the profession. Our goals are to provide and increase access to critical resources, to build community, and enhance understanding of the value of evaluation.
As we look to the future, we continue to develop ways that evaluators and our association can have a role and impact. We are excited about the directions AEA is taking and look forward to sharing them with you and gaining your input to shape and guide them. To learn more, attend our business meeting in November. We'll keep you posted with specifics closer to the date. And, if you cannot attend, we will provide information so that you also can stay apprised.
Sincerely,
Deb
Debra Rog
2009 AEA President |
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| Policy Watch - Next Steps on Foreign Assistance |
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From George Grob, Consultant to the Evaluation Policy Task Force
 In our May Policy Watch article we alerted you to some promising developments in the field of foreign assistance, a new bill in the House of Representatives with enlightened evaluation policies, the "Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act" ( H.R. 2139). While we were hopeful that this bill or something like it would be enacted, we were not getting our hopes too high. A stronger sign that something might eventually emerge from the Congress would be similar evaluation provisions in bills that reauthorize foreign assistance programs. We can now report progress on that front. Reauthorization bills are now pending in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both contain strong, but very different, evaluation sections. The House bill, "Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011" ( H.R. 2410) passed the House on June 10 and has been remanded for consideration by the Senate. It is peppered with provisions requiring evaluation of specific programs authorized by the act, such as: new, secure U.S. public diplomacy centers in foreign countries, libraries and resource centers, employee compensation, assistance to Iraq refugees, and aid to Pakistan. Perhaps more importantly it contains a new, sweeping evaluation authority in section 1114 for evaluation of all foreign assistance programs with almost all the provisions that are in the "Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act." The only provision that is missing is the establishment of a United States foreign assistance evaluation advisory council. The Senate bill, ''Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009" ( S. 1524), was introduced on July 28. It fills the gap in the House bill by establishing two new entities to coordinate evaluation of foreign assistance programs. In section 5, it would establish an Office for Learning, Evaluation, and Analysis in Development that will develop, design, coordinate, guide, and conduct the complete range of evaluation activities relating primarily to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In section 6, it establishes a Council on Research and Evaluation of Foreign Assistance to conduct evaluations of the impact of foreign assistance programs carried out by any Federal agency or international and multilateral assistance programs receiving financial assistance from the United States. However, it contains none of the overarching evaluation provisions included in the House bill. If the Senate passes its reauthorization bill, the odds are high that the joint House/Senate committee that will be established to combine the two bills will include significant evaluation provisions. Hopefully, such a resolution would be to combine the best provisions of both bills. We are watching this situation closely and working with the Lundy Foundation and other independent evaluators to advise the Congress on how to improve evaluation of foreign assistance programs. Go to the EPTF website to learn more |
| Jody Fitzpatrick Headlines October's Thought Leader Discussion Series |
We kicked off the Thought Leader Discussion Series in September with Michael Quinn Patton. For October, President Debra Rog will be hosting AEA founding member Jody Fitzpatrick, noted author and award-winning faculty member at the University of Colorado, Denver (UC-Denver), during the week of October 18-24.
 Prior to joining the UC-Denver School of Public Affairs, Jody conducted evaluations in Appalachia and in New York state and was on the faculty at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. While at UC-Denver, Jody has been recognized with awards for outstanding teaching and research. Jody is lead co-author, with James Sanders and Blaine Worthen, of one of the most widely used texts in the field, Program Evaluation: Alternative Approaches and Practical Guidelines. In 2008, working with Christina Christie and Melvin Mark, she co-authored Evaluation in Action: Interviews with Expert Evaluators. Marv Alkin heralded this as "a "must" read for those who want to know how evaluations really take place." Three of the evaluators interviewed for this book will join Jody in a plenary she will chair at our November conference. In addition, as the 2009 Presidential Strand co-chair, Jody will be chairing two additional Strand sessions focusing on this year's conference theme of Context and Evaluation.
The Thought Leader Discussion Series brings together members for an informal week-long asynchronous discussion around issues raised by a guest thought leader. For this session, we are especially excited about being able to preview some of the issues and areas related to context that may be raised during the November conference. The exchange takes place online via the President's forum and postings may be checked at your convenience each day throughout the week.
How does one sign up for the AEA Discussion Series? This is a members-only opportunity and it is free to all members who wish to sign up. You should be available to check the discussion list postings daily during the week of October 18-24. The full exchange takes place electronically via the AEA Presidents Forum. To join the forum, sign on to the AEA website using your username and password, navigate over to the forums, and click on "Add/Change Subscriptions" near the top right of the forum page.
Login at: http://www.eval.org
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| Meet Liliana Rodriguez-Campos - Professor & Young Achiever |
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AEA's 5,700 members worldwide represent a range of backgrounds, specialties and interest areas. Join us as we profile a different member each month via our Question and Answer column. This month's profile spotlights a professor and young achiever. She is the recipient of AEA's 2007 Marcia Guttentag New Evaluator Award.
Name, Affiliation: Liliana Rodriguez-Campos, University of South Florida (Tampa, FL)
Professional Position: Associate Professor
Degrees: Doctorate in Evaluation, Measurement, and Research (Western Michigan University), Masters in Educational Leadership with a Concentration in Evaluation, Measurement, and Research (Western Michigan University), Specialist in Project Management in Engineering (Universidad Cat�lica Andr�s Bello), Masters in Project Management in Engineering (Universidad Cat�lica Andr�s Bello), and Systems Engineer (Universidad Metropolitana)
Years in the Evaluation Field: Since 1994
Joined AEA: 1999
AEA Leadership: Co-chair & Program Chair, Collaborative, Participatory & Empowerment Evaluation TIG
Why do you belong to AEA?
"I belong to AEA because I believe in its vision and guiding principles that are attuned with the growing need for excellence in evaluation practice. At AEA, I enjoy the ongoing professional interactions that require critical thinking, integration of cutting edge techniques, and effective communication to achieve evaluation goals. My primary goal is to improve education about, and for, evaluation and to help professionals to develop their capacity to make a powerful and positive impact in their own field. With my involvement in AEA committees, I want to continue furthering the reputation of evaluation by virtue of sound work and collaborative relationships with colleagues."
Why do you choose to work in the field of evaluation?
"Around 15 years ago, I was working in the area of project management in engineering and that helped me to clearly understand the importance and applicability of evaluation. It was then when I decided to improve my knowledge and skill by pursuing a Ph.D. in Evaluation. My passion for evaluation theory and practice has continued to grow every day as I have been able to collaborate with exceptional professionals from around the world."
What's the most memorable or meaningful evaluation that you have been a part of - and why?
"More than just a specific evaluation, my most meaningful evaluation experience was to be able to learn from and work with James Sanders, Michael Scriven, and Daniel Stufflebeam at the Evaluation Center. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to have the guidance of such renowned and influential scholars in the evaluation field whom I admire so much."
What advice would you give to those new to the field?
"If they haven't already, I always tell them to join AEA and try to attend its annual conference because it provides an excellent way to keep updated and network with other evaluators from more than 60 countries. Also, to keep in mind that evaluation is a system that incorporates continuous feedback for improvement and changes in one subsystem affect changes in other parts of the total system. To me, excellence in evaluation cannot be reached solely through tenacious study; it has to be complemented by the acquisition of a great variety of skills, having the determination to improve constantly, and never settling for less than what can be accomplished."
If you know of someone who represents The Face of AEA, send recommendations to gwen@eval.org |
| New Volunteer Opportunities with AEA |
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Looking for ways to get involved in the life of the association? AEA's new Member Involvement Initiative (MII) has the following updates related to new volunteer opportunities within AEA:
Multiethnic Issues in Evaluation TIG Newsletter Editor: The MIE TIG Newsletter is distributed to the MIE TIG Membership once per year, each fall before the annual conference. The Newsletter Editor gathers information from the TIG leadership and committee chairs, and uses a desktop or online publishing program to format the newsletter for electronic distribution to the TIG membership using an emailing list supplied by the AEA office. She or he participates in twice yearly leadership conference calls and attends an in-person leadership meeting at AEA's annual conference. The term is for two years and those interested should contact MIE TIG Secretary Nicole Cundiff at karim@siu.edu for more information. Additionally, interested parties are encouraged to attend the MIE business meeting.
Multiethnic Issues in Evaluation TIG Secretary: The MIE TIG Secretary prepares minutes of the MIE TIG's annual business meeting and works with the MIE TIG Newsletter Editor to identify content for inclusion in the MIE TIG Newsletter. She or he participates in twice yearly leadership conference calls and attends an in-person leadership meeting at AEA's annual conference. During all formal TIG meetings, and TIG Leadership Meetings, the Secretary takes notesto be distributed to the TIG and for historical purposes. The term is for two years and those interested should contact MIE TIG Secretary Nicole Cundiff at karim@siu.edu for more information. Additionally, interested parties are encouraged to attend the MIE business meeting.
Evaluation 2009 Ambassadors and Hospitality Suite Hosts: Would you like to share your enthusiasm for AEA, for the conference, and/or for our international or diversity-focused programs? Ambassadors and hospitality suite hosts are experienced AEA members who volunteer to reach out to first time conference attendees and anyone with questions. Ambassadors serve during a specific 1-2 hour shift at either a reception or in our Diversity or International Hospitality Suites. Ambassadors have attended at least two AEA conferences and have been AEA members for at least three years. They are outgoing, feel knowledgeable about the conference, and are ready to meet new people and answer questions about the Association and the meeting. Ambassadors serving in the Diversity Hospitality Suite or the International Hospitality Suite should, additionally, be familiar with at least one of AEA's Diversity or Internationally-focused programs or TIGs. If this describes you, please go to our Evaluation 2009 Conference Ambassadors page, learn more, and sign up for a volunteering slot.
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| TechTalk - Search Conference Sessions Now, Feel Less Stressed There |
| From LaMarcus Bolton, AEA Technology Director
 Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with all the sessions available at a conference that you feel you're not getting the most out of the event? Well, worry no more! AEA has attempted to make life a little easier by offering the Evaluation 2009 conference program online. Having the convenience and accessibility of an online program ensures that you spend less time planning your schedule and more time attending and participating in these thought-provoking sessions. There are two primary ways to navigate Evaluation 2009's searchable program. First, you can look for topics of interest. To browse through all the sessions of this year's conference, simply hit the "View All Sessions" button at the top right corner of site. Doing so will provide an extensive list of all 620 sessions in order. Or, if you would like to plan your days according to specific time slots, you can. Simply click on the time-slots noted within the blue boxes of the schedule. This will enable you to browse through sessions occurring at the specific time you requested. For those of you who have a topical area of interest or wish to seek out a certain presenter, the "search" function works best. There are various search categories including: a keyword in the title or abstract of a paper, the presenter's last name, the presenter's affiliation, or the Topical Interest Group (TIG) that is sponsoring the presentation. Each session listing contains the title, presenter(s), time, and location of the session-basically everything you need to know! In addition, a short abstract is provided to give you an idea of what will be discussed in the session. Even for those of you who are not planning on attending, the searchable program can help provide an overview of the latest research and developments in your respective fields. It is also a great way to familiarize yourself with those researchers who are helping to advance our field. To take advantage of this opportunity, simply log in with your username and password either from the program search page or anywhere else on the AEA website. Although this interface will not enroll you into those sessions you select, it ultimately allows you to create a customized and manageable printout that should make your conference experience more enjoyable. If you have any questions or suggestions about the searchable program or the upcoming conference, feel free to contact me at marcus@eval.org. Go to AEA's Evaluation 2009 Online Searchable Program |
| Evaluation 2009 Hotel Update - The Cookie is Coming! |
 The International Plaza Resort, our overflow property for Evaluation 2009, is rebranding as of September 22, 2009. Following a $35 million dollar renovation it will now be the DoubleTree Resort, Orlando-International Drive. What does this mean for you? If you have reservations, there will be no change. You should ask any taxi driver for the DoubleTree Resort and have the address handy: 10100 International Drive (be careful, there are two DoubleTrees on International Drive and your driver may be more familiar with the one that has been around longer). You will also be eligible to receive Hilton Honors points for your stay. And, perhaps best of all, you will be handed DoubleTree's signature warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in. When you arrive at the property, you will find attractively renovated rooms and grounds with a slightly Polynesian feel. All of the AEA rooms are inward facing to the pools (rather than to the parking lot). The lobby is welcoming and the informal dining options include ample outside seating on the patio and verandah. Let's all think warm thoughts! If you haven't yet made your reservations, please be sure to do so at your earliest convenience. Rooms are filled on a first-come first-served basis and our block will fill before the conference. Go to the Evaluation 2009 Accommodations Page |
| Organizational Overlap with the Visitor Studies Association |
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As part of its strategic planning work, the Board is drafting policies explicating long-range goals for the association. Among them, we find the desire for the association to "provide and increase access to resources, and contribute to communities, that enable and support evaluators to engage in other fields and associations that are related to or aligned with the field of evaluation." In pursuit of helping members to know more about related associations that may sustain and support their practice, we'll be spotlighting associations to which our members contribute in a new feature called "Organizational Overlap." If you have others you'd like to suggest for consideration, please email gwen@eval.org.
About the Visitor Studies Association: The Visitor Studies Association (VSA) is a professional organization focusing on all facets of the visitor experience in museums, zoos, nature centers, visitor centers, historic sites, parks and other informal learning settings. VSA's members are a diverse and dynamic group of individuals including evaluators, educators, exhibit developers, designers, marketing professionals, planners, academics, and directors who share a passion for improving the quality of visitor experiences.
 Founded: 1988
Membership: Approximately 400 members from 20 countries.
Mission and Vision: VSA is an international
network of professionals committed to understanding and enhancing visitor
experience in informal learning settings through research, evaluation, and
dialogue. VSA envisions a world where citizens embrace lifelong learning and
where learning in informal settings benefits individuals, communities and
society at large.
How the group interfaces with AEA:
VSA members attend AEA's annual Evaluation conference. What began as an occasional face-to-face meeting became the impetus for more frequent interaction among members as well as more formal events.
Member Observation: "So much of what we do is the same. We have different constructs but we learn from one another. With AEA and its diversity of professionals doing evaluation in all its myriad forms, it's wonderful to learn how other people are doing things and how that can apply to our individual settings," says AEA/VSA member Joe Heimlich, from Ohio State University. "AEA is one of those conferences I consistently go to for professional development and I value the research and resources the association provides. I find that AEA and VSA are parallel organizations and there is a lot we can learn from each other."
History with AEA: In 2008, AEA/VSA member Kathleen Tinworth from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science presented an expert lecture session that focused on two separate exhibit evaluations that looked rigorously and creatively at how live interpretation can be used in a museum setting. Sponsored by the Evaluating the Arts and Culture TIG, both utilized empirical methods and statistical analyses to quantitatively and qualitatively address live museum interpretation as a vehicle to deliver content in unique, non-traditional and compelling ways - opening up discussion about best practice and enhancing informed decision making for future exhibits and programs.
What's New: At Evaluation 2009, VSA members will headline a multi-paper session that focuses on evaluation and research in informal learning environments - how participants identify with an exhibit, how a single exhibit often must appeal to multiple audiences, and how exhibits can impact personal transformation and lead to increased civic engagement. The group will also host a Nights Out event where participants can talk more about the session over dinner. For more information about the session, visit http://www.eval.org/search09/session.asp?sessionid=7396&presenterid=2409.
Go to the VSA Website
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| Strong Community of Evaluators in South Africa |
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By Jim Rugh, AEA Representative to the IOCE
 As AEA's representative to, and Treasurer of, the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation (IOCE), the opportunity to learn from our international colleagues informs my work and I hope that it may similarly enrich yours. I wanted to share with my AEA colleagues an update about the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).
SAMEA held its second biannual conference in Johannesburg August 17-21, 2009. As an attendee, I noted:
- There is an amazing growth of the evaluation profession in South Africa. The workshops, plenary keynotes and panel presentations, multiple conference sessions, and active discussions in the hallways and during meals among the over 300 participants, provided ample evidence of a highly professional organization.
- There is a remarkable relationship between the Government of South Africa and the evaluation profession. From the President on down, the government is taking transparency seriously, and recognizes the vital role evaluation should play. The Public Service Commission, an independent watchdog agency, has been a strong supporter of, and collaborator with, SAMEA.
- Among the 74 national evaluation networks/associations/societies around the world identified by the IOCE, SAMEA is surely one of the strongest. It serves as a good model to others. (Note: including regional and international evaluation groups the current total count is 87.)
- SAMEA is sharing its energy and resources with other groups throughout Africa through the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA). As a specific example, SAMEA is launching a professional evaluation journal that will include writers from all of Africa and will be shared with an all-African audience (and beyond).
Those of us in AEA want to promote the development of the evaluation profession around the world. Therefore we should be proud of the development of our sister organization, SAMEA, and our professional colleagues based in South Africa.
As I thought about writing this piece for the AEA newsletter I was going to say that there were two representatives of AEA at the SAMEA conference: Jennifer Greene, AEA's President-elect-elect, who made a very appropriate keynote address on values in evaluation, the theme of this SAMEA conference; and myself (there to present two pre-conference workshops). However, recalling the analysis Susan Kistler conducted last year of AEA's membership database, I was reminded that AEA members live in 87 countries. There are over 20 AEA members based in South Africa. In other words, AEA was well represented at the SAMEA conference, not just by outside visitors, but by members of our own 'family' who are active members and leaders of this dynamic professional community.
Go to the SAMEA website
Go to the IOCE website |
| In the News - AEA's 2008 Outstanding Publication Award Winner |
 AEA member and University of South Carolina professor Abe Wandersman was featured in the September issue of Monitor on Psychology, a publication of the American Psychological Association. The article focuses on Getting to Outcomes (GTO), a guide that helps users bridge the gap from designing programs to designing programs that achieve their intended results. The guide - which Wandersman developed with former students Matthew Chinman, a behavioral scientist at the RAND Corp. and Pamela Imm, an independent evaluation consultant - includes 10 key questions for consideration. GTO is downloadable, free of charge, and winner of AEA's 2008 Outstanding Publication Award. Preliminary results are promising - indicating both better program quality and outcomes in groups using the guide -- and the use of GTO is expanding.
Go to the Achieving Better Outcomes article |
| Evaluation Esoterica - AEA Micro-blogging Featured in Associations Now |
This past June, Associations Now, the magazine of the American Society of Association Executives, featured a short article highlighting AEA's nascent use of micro-blogging as part of an issue-wide focus on new technologies. We've reproduced that article below, with their permission, and encourage you to take a look at Evaluation Esoterica (EE) on the AEA website at http://eval.org/aeaweb.asp, to follow aeaweb on twitter, or subscribe to our EE RSS feed. Got a suggestion for an evaluation headline for us to add to the EE? Send it to info@eval.org.
Tweet to Web
Associations Now, June 2009
In January, the American Evaluation Association launched Evaluation Esoterica, a page on its website that features brief news updates from AEA, pointers to member blogs, and links to other sites addressing the evaluation world. Most visitors to the page might not notice that the page is, in fact, a replication of AEA's Twitter feed (@aeaweb). Susan Kistler, AEA's executive director, explains some of the strategies behind using the microblogging service to serve members.
It doesn't have to be about Twitter. AEA looks at the feed less as a way to promote the social networking tool du jour than as an opportunity to present information that is useful to members, but that might not rise to the level of publication in an AEA newsletter. "I don't think the majority know" that Evaluation Esoterica is a Twitter feed, says Kistler.
Keep it interactive, but relevant. Many social media gurus recommend posting on Twitter multiple times a day, but AEA's small staff sticks to roughly a couple of times a week, to avoid overwhelming both the association's staff and its members. Staff post items as they become aware of them rather than on a strict schedule; often they're links to AEA news, but items also point to member blogs or news shared by members.
It facilitates new ideas. Evaluation Esoterica is an experiment, but Kistler already anticipates that AEA will expand its Twitter use as its annual meeting draws closer. "It's saying that we're looking into new technologies, that we're ready to respond to our younger and newer members," she says.
Copyright 2009 Associations Now
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| Partnerships Yield Program Evaluation: Methodology and Practice |
 AEA members Alexey Kuzmin, Rita O'Sullivan, and Natalia Kosheleva are co-editors of a new book that is the first of its kind in Russia. Program Evaluation: Methodology and Practice was published by Presto-RK and is the result of a project initiated and implemented by the International Program Evaluation Network (IPEN). The project was supported by International Research and Exchange Board (IREX) through its program "Dialogue" in Russia and funds were provided by USAID-Russia. Several AEA members contributed both as writers and editors.
"There are very few publications in Russian available for people interested in program evaluation in the Newly Independent States," says Kuzmin. "The Board of Trustees of IPEN included the book into the Network strategy a couple years ago. Since then we had series of conversations with IPEN members in different countries about their needs and with potential donors. By the time the book concept became clear we found a donor. It was good luck :)"
"Most rewarding," he adds, "was the collaborative nature of the project and the number of people and organizations that supported us in Russia and in the US. We have a very interesting combination of conceptual chapters, written by U.S. and local authors, and a good collection of case studies that are region specific. We wanted to partner with our American colleagues since we have some history of collaboration and one of the IPEN strategic priorities is international partnerships. "
Four fellow AEA contributors include Michael Quinn Patton, Ross Conner, Tom Grayson and Jean Quesnel, along with Kuzmin, O'Sullivan and more than a dozen writers who are regional to the area. "This is the first program evaluation book of this quality and size in Russian. This is also the first Russian-American publication on evaluation in Russian," says Kuzmin. "As compared to other books I know (in English), our book provides a pretty comprehensive overview of what evaluation is and illustrates evaluation uses in various sectors including case studies from government, business, foundations and non-governmental organizations."
Kuzmin, president of the Process Consulting Company, teaches at Moscow School of Social and
Economic Sciences (MSSES). He has been working as a management and organization development consultant for more than 20 years and since the mid-90s has specialized in program and project evaluation. He has conducted more than 100 evaluations of projects and programs in Russia, CIS, Central and Eastern Europe. O'Sullivan, an associate professor at the University of North Caroline, specializes in collaborative evaluation techniques that enhance evaluation capacity and utilization among educators and public service providers. In 2004, she completed Practicing Evaluation: A Collaborative Approach, published by SAGE, and is senior author of Programs for At-Risk Students: A Guide to Evaluation published by Corwin Press in 1993. Kosheleva, an evaluation consultant with Process Consulting Company, has more than twenty years experience in the field of program and project development and management. She has conducted a number of evaluation projects in Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine and published several articles on evaluation in Russia.
The book is available online free of charge. |
| Education and Psychology: Integrating Diversity |
 AEA member Donna Mertens is author of Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology: Integrating Diversity with Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods, 3rd ed., published by SAGE.
From the publisher's website:
Focused on discussing what is considered to be "good" research, this text explains quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods in detail, incorporating the viewpoints of various research paradigms into the descriptions of these methods. Approximately 60% of the content in this Third Edition is new, with lots of new examples. Key features include:
- Postpositivist, constructivist, transformative, and pragmatic paradigms discussed
- Conducting research in culturally complex communities emphasized throughout
- A step-by-step overview of the entire research process provided
- Accompanied by a Student Web site with links to flashcards, mini-cases, and full text SAGE journal articles at www.sagepub.com/mertensstudy
- New coverage on how to write a literature review and plan a dissertation
- New pedagogy including "Extending Your Thinking" throughout
From the Author:
"The 3rd edition of Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology: Integrating Diversity with Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods builds on the strengths of the first two editions in terms of exploring major paradigms associated with research and evaluation: post-positivism, constructivism, transformative, and pragmatic. I was surprised when I began to compile the revisions for the 3rd edition to see the rich developments that had occurred in terms of linking research and evaluation to social justice and in terms of methodologies, especially in the area of mixed methods. This book uniquely integrates the major paradigms of research and evaluation into the entire process from the determination of the focus of the study to the use of the findings. Each step in the process is critically examined and criteria for rigor are identified for the reader to use as a guide in the development of high quality investigations of educational and psychological phenomenon."
About the Author:
Donna M. Mertens is a professor in the Department of Educational Foundations and Research at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, and teaches research methods and program evaluation to graduate-level deaf and hearing students in multiple programs, including education, administration, psychology, social work, audiology, and international development. The major focus of her work is the blending of issues of social justice and human rights with research and evaluation frameworks and methods. She is currently the editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods Research with Max Bergman as co-editor. A Past-President (1998) of AEA, she provided leadership for its Diversity Initiative and its resulting Graduate Internship for Evaluators of Color, as well as for the establishment of the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation. She authored/edited several books, most recently Transformative Research and Evaluation (Guilford Press 2009) and Handbook of Social Research Ethics (with Pauline Ginsberg, co-editor, SAGE 2009).
AEA members receive a 20 percent discount on books from SAGE when ordered directly from the publisher. The discount code for AEA members is S25AEA or members can call the Customer Care department at 1-800-818-7243 or 1-805-499-9774. Go to the Publisher's Site |
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New Jobs & RFPs from the AEA Career Center |
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What's new this month in the AEA Online Career Center? The following positions and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) have been added recently:
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Project Manager at JBS International Inc. (North Bethesda, MD)
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Director, Criminal Justice Research & Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (New York, NY)
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Director of Evaluation & Research at Kauffman & Associates Inc. (Silver Spring, MD)
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Evaluator at Community Connections of New York (Buffalo, NY)
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Evaluation Coordinator at University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute (Minneapolis, MN)
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Data Analyst at Newport News Public Schools (Newport News, VA)
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Director of Research and Evaluation at Latin America Health Institute (Boston, MA)
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Analysts/SAS Data Managers/Programmer at DATACORP (Cheyenne, WY & Smithfield, RI)
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Student Information System Project Coordinator at Newport News Public Schools (Newport News, VA)
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Director of Research and Evaluation at Chicago Public Schools (Chicago, IL)
Descriptions for each of these positions, and many others, are available in the AEA Online Career Center. According to Google analytics, the Career Center received over 4000 unique visitors in the past month. It is an outstanding resource for posting your resume or position, or for finding your next employer, contractor or employee.
Job hunting? You can also sign up to receive notifications of new position postings via email or RSS feed.
Go to the AEA Online Career Center |
| Get Involved |
| Get the most from your membership by taking advantage of the many things that you can do right now to participate in the life of the association, share your input, and promote your business.
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| About Us |
| The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association of evaluators devoted to the application and exploration of evaluation in all its forms.
The American Evaluation Association's mission is to:
- Improve evaluation practices and methods
- Increase evaluation use
- Promote evaluation as a profession and
- Support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action.
phone: 1-508-748-3326 or 1-888-232-2275
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