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American Journal of Evaluation

American Journal of Evaluation

Official Journal of the American Evaluation Association

eISSN: 15570878 | ISSN: 10982140 | Current volume: 45 | Current issue: 2 Frequency: Quarterly
The American Journal of Evaluation (AJE) offers original, peer-reviewed, often highly cited articles about the theory, methods, and practice of evaluation and the role of evaluation in society. The journal’s seven designated sections (see below) allow emphasis and focus within those areas. AJE also provides essay-length reviews of books on a single topic or issue relevant to the theory, methods, and practice of evaluation. Topically, AJE features broad, multidisciplinary perspectives on issues in evaluation relevant to education, public administration, behavioral sciences, human services, health sciences, sociology, criminology, and other disciplines and professional practice fields.

Authors should review the AJE submission and style and format guidelines, noting that the required reference and citation style for this journal is APA 7th edition. Additional specifications for each category, including details about suggested content and page length, appear in the submission types and section descriptions below.

Articles – Articles focus on topics applicable to the broad field of program evaluation. We seek articles that examine topics in evaluation theory, methods, and/or practice. In all cases, implications for practicing evaluators should be clearly identified. Examples of contributions include, but are not limited to, reviews of new developments in evaluation, descriptions of challenges or lessons from a current evaluation study, critical reviews of some area of evaluation practice, and presentations of important new techniques. Length is not a specific criterion for manuscripts, yet well-developed manuscripts tend to be between 20-30 pages (double-spaced).Manuscripts in excess of 35 pages may be returned to the author for additional editing before review at the discretion of the editor.

Forum – Forum contributions present essays, opinions, and professional judgments. These may speak to and about the philosophical, ethical, and practical dilemmas of our diverse, inter- and trans- disciplinary profession. By design, the Forum section encourages submissions from diverse points of view and experiences, in the hope that our professional dialogue will benefit from learning from multiple perspectives. Forum submissions should reference the literature that has contributed to the authors’ perspectives. Manuscripts should not exceed 15 pages (double-spaced).

Special SectionAJE sometimes considers and publishes special sections. Special sections consist of curated articles on a common topic or theme, assembled by an outside group and submitted for consideration through our peer review system. These sections are typically reviewed by peers external to AJE and then reviewed by AJE reviewers. Examples of special sections can be found in issues 44-3 (A Focus on the Evaluation Profession), 39-1 (Building Evidence in Challenging Contexts), and 36-4 (Unpacking the “Black Box” of Social Programs and Policies). Please contact the Co-Editors-in-Chief, Rodney Hopson (AJEHopson@american.edu) and Laura Peck (AJE.EICPeck@gmail.com), if you are interested in submitting a proposal for a special section. In addition to the above submission types, we organize some of the journal’s content into sections. The following describes each section, its expectations for submissions, and the Section Editors.

Book Reviews ­– The vision of the Book Reviews section is to highlight single books applicable to the broad field of evaluation. In addition, this section may include reviews of other kinds of resources for evaluations (e.g., web-based resources, manuals, and handbooks). Book reviews should be less than 2,500 words long. On rare occasions, the Book Reviews Editors also consider essay reviews–in-depth, peer-reviewed articles that examine one or more recent books of particular significance on a single topic. Essay reviews are between 5,000 and 8,000 words long. Ideally, the reviewed books represent a range of topics, diverse authors, and various publishers. All reviews are commissioned by the Book Reviews Editors. Please contact the Book Reviews Editors, Cherie Avent (cmavent@illinois.edu) and Aileen Reid (amreid3@uncg.edu), before beginning to work on a review. You may also contact the Book Reviews Editors with recommendations for books to review.

Economic EvaluationAJE’s Economic Evaluation section is a space for exemplary methodological and empirical work that deepens our understanding of economic evaluation and the value these methods bring to understanding and guiding social policy and investments. The Economic Evaluation Section Editors invite you to submit manuscripts describing theories, qualitative as well as quantitative methods, findings, uses, and constructive critiques of cost-inclusive evaluations, cost-effectiveness analysis, and cost-benefit analysis. The Section Editors also hope to see evaluations including Value for Money and Social Return on Investment in their inboxes. For additional information, please contact the Section Editors, Viviana Rodriguez (viviana.rodriguez@utsa.edu) and Brian Yates (brian.yates@mac.com).

Ethics, Values, and Culture – This section includes articles that focus on ethics, values, and culture in evaluation, posing questions about the purpose of social inquiry and the responsibility of the evaluator in asking reflective questions of culture, purpose, and role. We invite potential contributors to revisit our vision for this AJE section in this 2024 AEA365 blogpost. As intersectional scholars, we value rooted community framing and lived experience as a necessary part of published scholarship. To that end, we invite authors from underrepresented, marginalized, and minoritized populations individually or as part of the author team. This section is re-imagined to intentionally make space, hold space, and celebrate the rich diversity existing within AEA membership and throughout the field of evaluation, including the communities most impacted by our evaluations. Knowing your positionality, lived experience, and scholarship are the braided components we expect for this section of AJE. If you are an ally, accomplice, or subject matter expert from a majority, white, or other privileged evaluator group, we invite your courageous and critical voices, too. Reflecting on your positionality, privilege, and the settler state at large in the field of evaluation are all very important contributions that our profession desperately needs; therefore, we request that all contributors include a positionality statement with their submitted article. Manuscripts for this section should range from 10-25 double-spaced pages. Before submission of a full article, you may feel free to share an abstract or idea, or request a brief meeting with the editorial team to discuss your ideas. Our contact information is Nicky Bowman (nicky@bpcwi.com), Ayesha Boyce (ayesha.boyce@asu.edu, and Gregory Phillips II (Glp2@northwestern.edu).

Experimental Methodology – The Experimental Methodology section was originally conceptualized under the leadership of George Julnes who pointed to four conditions (i.e., values) that support appropriate and effective use of experimental evaluations: potential information value, legal and ethical value, practical value, and portfolio value. The Experimental Methodology Section Editor aims to continue to publish articles that contribute to our understanding of these conditions and increase an evaluator’s ability to address threats to these values in practice. The Section Editor envisions contributions primarily coming through articles that advance the design and analysis of experimental methods directly (where participants are randomly assigned to treatment and comparison conditions), but also would like the section to be inclusive of other strong quasi-experimental designs (for example that are recognized by the What Works Clearinghouse) that lead to credible evidence. The Section Editor encourages submissions that pertain to advancing evaluation theories, methods, and practice in the area of experimental methodology. For additional information, please contact the Section Editor, Carl Westine (cwestine@charlotte.edu).

International Developments in Evaluation – We evaluate in–and from–every corner of our complex and diverse world. While American and international evaluation stakeholders are faced with similar opportunities and challenges, this section focuses on the aspects of evaluation–the evaluands, the evaluators, the evaluation systems–that are of relevance to international program evaluation stakeholders. For this reason, this section promotes learning through evaluations that take place outside the United States. Topics include: advances in evaluation practice that embrace complex contexts or diverse cultures, innovative approaches to the evaluation of development programs or of international aid, the work of VOPEs and regional evaluation movements to advance the practice of new forms of evaluation, and evaluation’s role in transforming power dynamics or inequality. All authors contributing original perspectives on such evaluation are welcome. We welcome manuscripts drawing from empirical data, but also practice experience, and reflections on learning-through-doing. We particularly welcome the voices of those traditionally absent from the literature, including voices from the Global South and those underrepresented in global scholarship, such as evaluation practitioners. For more information, please contact the section editors, Caitlin Blaser Mapitsa (Caitlin.Mapitsa@wits.ac.za) and Alysson Akiko Oakley (alyssonakiko@gmail.com).

Method Notes – The Method Note section highlights new or improved developments in evaluation methods, techniques, and tools. The Method Note Section Editors are particularly interested in methods that have been systematically studied, and that can be applied to different types of evaluations. The section is methods neutral, welcoming articles that enhance qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to evaluation. The critical point to consider when developing a Method Note is to connect it directly to the evaluation process or outcome. The most common structure for a Method Note is to overview the area of focus or interest, identify a current issue or limitation with a method, and propose then illustrate a solution. This solution is the new development or innovation being presented in the paper, and it typically includes a description of how the new method addresses the issue raised or allows evaluators to answer questions in an improved or more efficient manner. The typical note also provides an example of the new method as applied in a real-world evaluation, followed by a discussion of its strengths and limitations. This section introduces the evaluation community to cutting-edge development that can help enhance the quality and rigor of our evaluations. Method Notes are typically between 20-25 pages (double-spaced) describing methods and techniques that support effective evaluation practice. For additional information, please contact the Section Editors, Tarek Azzam (uazzat00@gmail.com) and Ralph Renger (ralph@justevaluation.com).

Teaching and Learning of Evaluation – Teaching matters! Do you care deeply about evaluator competencies and what practitioners should know, understand, or be able to do? The Teaching and Learning (T&L) Section Editors seek to publish pieces that advance thinking about teaching and learning of evaluation in formal and informal settings and across diverse cultural contexts, communities, and disciplines. The Section Editors seek scholarly contributions that clearly focus on teaching and learning of evaluation theory, methodology, or practice. While a wide range of contributions are relevant for the scope of the T&L section, the Section Editors are particularly interested in research studies of any systematic design, conceptual frameworks, and teaching and learning strategies. For questions, please contact Section Editors, Daniela Schröter (daniela.schroeter@wmich.edu) and Rebecca H. Woodland (rebecca.woodland@educ.umass.edu).

The American Journal of Evaluation (AJE) publishes original papers about the methods, theory, and practice of evaluation. The general goal of AJE is to present the best work in and about evaluation, in order to improve the knowledge base and practice of its readers. Because the field of evaluation is diverse, with different intellectual traditions, approaches to practice, and domains of application, the papers published in AJE will reflect this diversity. Nevertheless, preference is given to papers that are likely to be of interest to a wide range of evaluators and that are written to be accessible to most readers. The American Journal of Evaluation (AJE) publishes original papers about the methods, theory, and practice of evaluation. The general goal of AJE is to present the best work in and about evaluation, in order to improve the knowledge base and practice of its readers. Because the field of evaluation is diverse, with different intellectual traditions, approaches to practice, and domains of application, the papers published in AJE will reflect this diversity. Nevertheless, preference is given to papers that are likely to be of interest to a wide range of evaluators and that are written to be accessible to most readers.

Editors
Rodney Hopson American University, USA
Laura Peck MEF Associates, USA
Managing Editor
Shannon Hitchcock Abt Global, USA
Associate Editors
Stephanie A. Dopson Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA
Melissa Rae Goodnight University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Leanne Kallemeyn Loyola University Chicago, USA
John LaVelle University of Minnesota, USA
Dana Linnell University of Wisconsin-Stout, USA
Section Editor: Book Reviews
Cherie Avent University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Aileen Reid University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA
Section Editor: Economic Evaluation
Viviana Rodriguez University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Brian Yates American University, USA
Section Editor: Ethics, Values & Culture
Nicky Bowman Bowman Performance Consulting, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Ayesha Boyce Arizona State University, USA
Gregory Phillips II Northwestern University, USA
Section Editor: Experimental Methodology
Carl Westine University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
Section Editor: International Developments in Evaluation
Caitlin Blaser Mapitsa Wits University, South Africa
Alysson Akiko Oakley Pact, USA
Section Editor: Method Notes
Tarek Azzam University of California-Santa Barbara, USA
Ralph Renger Just Evaluation Services, USA
Section Editor: Teaching & Learning
Daniela C. Schröeter Western Michigan University, USA
Rebecca H. Woodland University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
Graphics Editor
Jonathan Schwabish Urban Institute, USA
Editorial Advisory Board
Harit Agroia San Jose State University, USA
Liya Aklilu IAVI, USA
John F. Akwetey The Evaluation Center, Western Michigan University, USA
Thomas Archibald Virginia Tech, USA
Eric Barela Altruous, USA
Stephen Bell Independent Consultant, USA
Steffen Bohni Nielsen National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark
Tatiana Bustos RTI International, USA
Wendy Chan University of Pennsylvania, USA
Kyle Cox University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
Giovanni Dazzo University of Georgia, USA
Stewart I. Donaldson Claremont Graduate University, USA
Olatokunbo (Toks) S. Fashola American University, USA
Rana S. Gautam University of North Georgia, USA
George Grob Center for Public Program Evaluation, USA
Jori N. Hall University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Sally Honeycutt American Heart Association, USA
Andrew Jaciw Empirical Education Inc., USA
Ben Kelcey University of Cincinnati, USA
Karen E. Kirkhart Syracuse University, USA
Sebastian Lemire Abt Global, USA
Saúl Maldonado San Diego State University, USA
Rakesh Mohan Idaho State Legislature, USA
Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead University of Connecticut, USA
Steven Mumford University of New Orleans, USA
Kathryn E. Newcomer George Washington University, USA
Xiaoxia Newton University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
Esther C. Nolton Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, American University, USA
Taylor Odle University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Valérie Pattyn Leiden University, the Netherlands
Carlos A. O. Pavão Georgia State University, USA
Phung K. Pham Children's Hospital of Orange County, USA
Steven Pierce Michigan State University, USA
Donna Podems Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Stephen Porter World Bank, Independent Evaluation Group, USA
Jose L. Reyes Hurtado California State University-Long Beach, USA
Robert Shand American University, USA
Vidhya Shanker Collective Knowledge Works, The May 13 Group, USA
Rebecca M. Teasdale University of Illinois Chicago, USA
Ananya Tiwari Texas A&M University, USA
Susan Tucker Evaluation & Development Associates LLC, USA
Gina Vanegas Health & Inclusivity LLC, USA
Fatima Zahra University of Tennessee-Knoxville, USA
Guili Zhang East Carolina University, USA
Editors Emeriti
Jori N. Hall 2022 - 2023
George Julnes 2019 - 2021
Melvin M. Mark 1999 - 2004
Robin L. Miller, PhD 2005 - 2009
Sharon F. Rallis 2014 - 2018
Thomas A. Schwandt University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA
M.F. Smith 1989 - 1995
Blaine R. Worthen 1995 - 1999
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