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Research and Evaluation: Understanding the Process and Purpose

This article provides definitions of research and evaluation, explores their purposes, discusses the role of science and scientific management, and delves into the different types of research and evaluation. It explains the importance of evaluation in various contexts and outlines the process and criteria involved. Furthermore, it examines different research approaches and methods, and provides examples of evaluation studies.

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Research and Evaluation: Understanding the Process and Purpose

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  1. Outline • Definitions of Research/Evaluation • Purposes of Evaluation / Research • Science and Scientific Management • Research/Evaluation as Process • Types of Research / Evaluation

  2. Definitions • Evaluation = Process of judging the merit or worth of something • Research • application of scientific methods to answer questions • controlled inquiry directed at increasing knowledge/establishing truth • Evaluation Research - combine the two

  3. Research Evaluation Evaluation Research

  4. Why Evaluate - the Academic list • To assess merits of alternative programs • To discover whether & how well objectives are being fulfilled • To determine the reasons for successes & failures. • To uncover the principles underlying a successful program. • To refine, revise, update or track a program

  5. Why Evaluate- "The Real List" 1. Because we are required to 2. To make better decisions. 3. To learn from experience 4. To justify programs 5. To kill programs

  6. Purposes of Research • Answer management questions - applied research • For sake of knowing - pure or basic research • Answer research questions - methodological • Develop/test management alternatives - developmental research • Assess worth or merit of programs - evaluationresearch

  7. Research Purposes - II • Exploratory • Descriptive • Explanatory • Predictive

  8. Ways of Knowing or Establishing belief or truth • Tradition • Authority • Repetition/Tenacity • Science

  9. Body of Knowledge systematic abstract general parsimonious Method of Inquiry logical induction deduction self-corrective empirical Science

  10. Scientific Management • Application of scientific principles to management and decision making • systematic information gathering • empirical, objective, self-corrective

  11. Research define problem objectives/hypotheses literature review research methods gather data/analysis conclusions Evaluation describe program evaluation criteria program scoping evaluation methods gather data/analysis conclusions Process -- Steps

  12. Types of Evaluationby Program Stage • formative (conceptualization/design)] • process (implementation) • summative (outcomes, impacts, efficiency)

  13. Types - By Approach • Standards • norm-based • criterion-referenced • Goals and objectives • Impacts or effects

  14. Types- by method • Qualitative - quantitative • Secondary data - Primary • Survey - Experiment • Internal vs external • Who - Peers, participants, superiors, subordinates, scientists

  15. Evaluation Criteria • Effort - qnty and qlty of inputs • Performance - qnty and qlty of outputs • Adequacy - meet needs? • Efficiency - benefits/costs • Equity - distributional issues, fairness

  16. Process Evaluation • Identifies how and why program works • attributes • recipients • conditions • effects • single or multiple • intended or side effects • timing & duration, long/short term • cognitive, affective or behavioral

  17. Types by program area/subarea • Emphasis: Parks, Tourism, Interp, Program Mgmt, Commercial Rec, ... • Program : lands, facilities, personnel, budget, marketing, PR, maintenance, design, policies, plans

  18. Types of Research • Basic - Applied • Exploratory, Descriptive, Explanatory, Predictive • In-house / out- house • by discipline - sociological, psych, economics • by topic - boating, wilderness, legal,tourism, ... • by method - survey, expmt, ...

  19. Examples of Evaluation Studies • Community needs assessment • Feasibility study, SWOT analysis • Program Audits, Market audit • Cost/benefit anaysis • Impact assessment • PPBS, MBO, GPRA, CAPRA, LAC, ... • Peer review • Importance-performance analysis

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