Credible and Actionable Evidence

The Foundation for Rigorous and Influential Evaluations
Second Edition
Stewart I. Donaldson - Claremont Graduate University, USA
Christina A. Christie - University of California, Los Angeles, USA
Melvin M. Mark - 1999 - 2004
Credible and Actionable Evidence
September 2014 | 352 pages | Sage US
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Description

Addressing one of the most important and contentious issues challenging applied research and evaluation practice today—what constitutes credible and actionable evidence?—this volume offers a balanced and current context in which to analyze the long-debated quantitative-qualitative paradigms. In the Second Edition, the contributors, a veritable “who’s who” in evaluation, discuss the diversity and changing nature of credible and actionable evidence; offer authoritative guidance about using credible and actionable evidence; explain how to use it to provide rigorous and influential evaluations; and include lessons from their own applied research and evaluation to suggest ways to address the key issues and challenges. Reflecting the latest developments in the field and covering both experimental and non-experimental methods, the new edition includes revised and updated chapters, summaries of strengths and weaknesses across varied approaches, and contains diverse definitions of evidence. Also included are two new chapters on assessing credibility and synthesizing evidence for policy makers. This is a valuable resource for students and others interested in how to best study and evaluate programs, policies, organizations, and other initiatives designed to improve aspects of the human condition and societal well-being.  



Contents

Part I: Introduction

  • 1. Examining the Backbone of Contemporary Evaluation Practice: Credible and Actionable Evidence
  • 2. Social Inquiry Paradigms as a Frame for the Debate on Credible Evidence
  • 3. How People Judge the Credibility of Information: Lessons for Evaluation From Cognitive and Information Sciences

Part II: Credible and Actionable Evidence: The Role of Randomized Experiments

  • 4. When Getting It Right Matters: The Struggle for Rigorous Evidence of Impact and to Increase Its Influence Continues
  • 5. Randomized Controlled Trials: A Gold Standard or Gold Plated?
  • 6. Demythologizing Causation and Evidence

Part III: Credible and Actionable Evidence: Perspectives From a Range of Evaluation Designs and Methods

  • 7. When and How Qualitative Methods Provide Credible and Actionable Evidence: Reasoning With Rigor, Probity, and Transparency
  • 8. Seeing Is Believing: Using Images as Evidence in Evaluation
  • 9. Credibility, Policy Use, and the Evaluation Synthesis

Part IV: Credible and Actionable Evidence: General Perspectives

  • 10. How Evidence Earns Credibility in Evaluation
  • 11. Actionable Evidence in Context: Contextual Influences on Adequacy and Appropriateness of Method Choice in Evaluation
  • 12. Credible Evidence of Effectiveness: Necessary but Not Sufficient
  • 13. Credible and Actionable Evidence: A Framework, Overview, and Suggestions for Future Practice and Research

Additional materials

Description

Addressing one of the most important and contentious issues challenging applied research and evaluation practice today—what constitutes credible and actionable evidence?—this volume offers a balanced and current context in which to analyze the long-debated quantitative-qualitative paradigms. In the Second Edition, the contributors, a veritable “who’s who” in evaluation, discuss the diversity and changing nature of credible and actionable evidence; offer authoritative guidance about using credible and actionable evidence; explain how to use it to provide rigorous and influential evaluations; and include lessons from their own applied research and evaluation to suggest ways to address the key issues and challenges. Reflecting the latest developments in the field and covering both experimental and non-experimental methods, the new edition includes revised and updated chapters, summaries of strengths and weaknesses across varied approaches, and contains diverse definitions of evidence. Also included are two new chapters on assessing credibility and synthesizing evidence for policy makers. This is a valuable resource for students and others interested in how to best study and evaluate programs, policies, organizations, and other initiatives designed to improve aspects of the human condition and societal well-being.  



Contents

Part I: Introduction

  • 1. Examining the Backbone of Contemporary Evaluation Practice: Credible and Actionable Evidence
  • 2. Social Inquiry Paradigms as a Frame for the Debate on Credible Evidence
  • 3. How People Judge the Credibility of Information: Lessons for Evaluation From Cognitive and Information Sciences

Part II: Credible and Actionable Evidence: The Role of Randomized Experiments

  • 4. When Getting It Right Matters: The Struggle for Rigorous Evidence of Impact and to Increase Its Influence Continues
  • 5. Randomized Controlled Trials: A Gold Standard or Gold Plated?
  • 6. Demythologizing Causation and Evidence

Part III: Credible and Actionable Evidence: Perspectives From a Range of Evaluation Designs and Methods

  • 7. When and How Qualitative Methods Provide Credible and Actionable Evidence: Reasoning With Rigor, Probity, and Transparency
  • 8. Seeing Is Believing: Using Images as Evidence in Evaluation
  • 9. Credibility, Policy Use, and the Evaluation Synthesis

Part IV: Credible and Actionable Evidence: General Perspectives

  • 10. How Evidence Earns Credibility in Evaluation
  • 11. Actionable Evidence in Context: Contextual Influences on Adequacy and Appropriateness of Method Choice in Evaluation
  • 12. Credible Evidence of Effectiveness: Necessary but Not Sufficient
  • 13. Credible and Actionable Evidence: A Framework, Overview, and Suggestions for Future Practice and Research

Additional materials

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Credible and Actionable Evidence

The Foundation for Rigorous and Influential Evaluations

Stewart I. Donaldson , Christina A. Christie , Melvin M. Mark
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September 2014 | 352 pages | Sage US

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Addressing one of the most important and contentious issues challenging applied research and evaluation practice today—what constitutes credible and actionable evidence?—this volume offers a balanced and current context in which to analyze the long-debated quantitative-qualitative paradigms. In the Second Edition, the contributors, a veritable “who’s who” in evaluation, discuss the diversity and changing nature of credible and actionable evidence; offer authoritative guidance about using credible and actionable evidence; explain how to use it to provide rigorous and influential evaluations; and include lessons from their own applied research and evaluation to suggest ways to address the key issues and challenges. Reflecting the latest developments in the field and covering both experimental and non-experimental methods, the new edition includes revised and updated chapters, summaries of strengths and weaknesses across varied approaches, and contains diverse definitions of evidence. Also included are two new chapters on assessing credibility and synthesizing evidence for policy makers. This is a valuable resource for students and others interested in how to best study and evaluate programs, policies, organizations, and other initiatives designed to improve aspects of the human condition and societal well-being.  




Table Of Contents:

  • Credible Evidence: Changing the Terms of the Debate
  • Part I: Introduction
  • Demythologizing Causation & Evidence
  • 1. Examining the Backbone of Contemporary Evaluation Practice: Credible and Actionable Evidence
  • Evaluation Methods for Producing Actionable Evidence: Contextual Influences on Adequacy and Appropriateness of Method Choice
  • 2. Social Inquiry Paradigms as a Frame for the Debate on Credible Evidence
  • Evidence as 'Proof' and Evidence as 'Inkling'
  • 3. How People Judge the Credibility of Information: Lessons for Evaluation From Cognitive and Information Sciences
  • How people judge the credibility of information: Lessons for evaluation from cognitive and information sciences
  • Part II: Credible and Actionable Evidence: The Role of Randomized Experiments
  • Politics, Policy, and the Evaluation Synthesis
  • 4. When Getting It Right Matters: The Struggle for Rigorous Evidence of Impact and to Increase Its Influence Continues
  • Randomized Control Trials: A Gold Standard with Feet of Clay
  • 5. Randomized Controlled Trials: A Gold Standard or Gold Plated?
  • Reasoning Rigor and Probity: Ethical Premises for Credible Evidence
  • 6. Demythologizing Causation and Evidence
  • Seeing is Believing: The Credibility of Image Based Research and Evluation
  • Part III: Credible and Actionable Evidence: Perspectives From a Range of Evaluation Designs and Methods
  • Social Inquiry Paradigms as a Frame for the Debate on Credible Evidence
  • 7. When and How Qualitative Methods Provide Credible and Actionable Evidence: Reasoning With Rigor, Probity, and Transparency
  • Toward a Practical Theory of Evidence for Evaluation
  • 8. Seeing Is Believing: Using Images as Evidence in Evaluation
  • When Getting it Right Matters: The Case for High Quality Policy and Program Impact Evaluations
  • 9. Credibility, Policy Use, and the Evaluation Synthesis
  • Part IV: Credible and Actionable Evidence: General Perspectives
  • 10. How Evidence Earns Credibility in Evaluation
  • 11. Actionable Evidence in Context: Contextual Influences on Adequacy and Appropriateness of Method Choice in Evaluation
  • 12. Credible Evidence of Effectiveness: Necessary but Not Sufficient
  • 13. Credible and Actionable Evidence: A Framework, Overview, and Suggestions for Future Practice and Research

Recent Product Reviews:

Somewhat advanced for my undergraduate courses.
Mr DOUGLAS ANDERSON, Humanities Fine Arts Dept, Front Range Community College
"Donaldson, Christie and Mark's thorough book on credible and actionable evidence provides a comprehensive overview of how thinking about this topic has evolved to its present state in the program evaluation community. There can never be a last word on the topic, but this is as good a current snapshot as one might find. I recommend it."
William R. Shadish, University of California, Merced
“The book is very well constructed in terms of building blocks to develop what the editors are addressing. The division into sections is a good example of strong organizational approach to a topic. The quality of the individual chapters is exemplary…[G]ood writing and solid expertise in compiling various aspects of the debate around research evaluation.”
Audrey J. Penner, Holland College and University of Prince Edward Island
“A huge strength of the text is the discussion of research decisions within a social/cultural/political context. This is a critical conversation for students to have about applied research.”
Matthew J. Zagumny, Tennessee Technological University
"High quality papers on an important issue written by some of the top scholars in the field. A must read for those interested in the topic."
Ernie House, University of Colorado Boulder

Recommendations