Program Evaluation: An Introduction to an Evidence-Based Approach, 6th Edition

David Royse, Bruce A. Thyer, Deborah K. Padgett

Copyright 2016
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Program Evaluation: An Introduction to an Evidence-Based Approach 6th Edition by David Royse/Bruce A. Thyer/Deborah K. Padgett

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Overview
Meet the Authors
What's New
Features
Table of Contents
Pricing

Overview

Praised by instructors and students alike, PROGRAM EVALUATION, 6th Edition helps your students evaluate services and programs that they will encounter in their professional practice. The textbook is designed to be a primary source for students in social work, sociology, psychology, public administration, counseling, education, nursing, and other related disciplines in which it is important to know if interventions (be they individual, family, group, or community focused) are having the desired impact. In the process of learning evaluation techniques and skills, students will become proficient at critically analyzing evaluation studies conducted by others. The authors present and simplify all the essentials needed for a critical appreciation of evaluation issues and methodology. The text's clear writing style and clear presentation of concepts, as well as its hands-on and applied focus, guide students on how to gather evidence and demonstrate that their interventions and programs are effective in improving clients' lives. This edition's up-to-date coverage includes a greater number of references to current literature, emphasizing that consulting the literature is an important step in recognizing, developing, and evaluating evidence-based practice or research-informed practice.

Meet the Authors

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David Royse

David Royse is a professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. He earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 1980. He has written several books, including two for Cengage Learning: RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIAL WORK, Sixth Edition, and PROGRAM EVALUATION: AN INTRODUCTION TO AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH, Sixth Edition.

Bruce A. Thyer

Bruce A. Thyer, Ph.D., is Dean and Professor, School of Social Work, Florida State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1982. Recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Faculty Scholar Award, Dr. Thyer has published extensively on social work practice, research, and evaluation.

Deborah K. Padgett

Deborah K. Padgett, Ph.D., MPH, is a professor at the New York University School of Social Work. She received her doctorate in urban anthropology in 1979 and completed post-doctoral programs in mental health services research at Columbia University School of Public Health (1985–86) and Duke University Department of Psychiatry (1994–95). Dr. Padgett's research interests include breast cancer screening and follow-up care for medically underserved women and qualitative studies of the 'process' of care for psychiatrically disabled homeless adults.

What's New

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Maintaining its focus on pragmatic issues and concerns of program evaluation, the sixth edition offers improved readability and expanded coverage that broadens the audience to human service professionals as well as social workers.
Coverage of most topics has been brought up to date with a greater number of references to current literature, emphasizing that consulting the literature is an important step in recognizing/developing and evaluating evidence-based practice or research-informed practice.
Chapter 1 includes new discussion of the difference between research and evaluation. It also presents new material on justification for program evaluation and current examples drawn from policy/macro arenas, new material explaining what scientifically based research means, a new essay on evidence-based practice, and a new table of research-supported psychotherapies.
Chapter 2, "Ethical Issues in Program Evaluation," includes new content on ethical boundaries in participatory and action research, more references to participatory research, and new material on ethical issues associated with observing program activities in situ.
Chapter 3, "Needs Assessment," has been reorganized into more accessible units (types of needs assessments, ways to conceptualize need, how a needs assessment starts, and steps involved in conducting a needs assessment). The chapter also includes new material comparing the cost and time required for various needs assessment approaches as well as new information on what it is like to conduct a needs assessment (based on an anecdotal account in the literature).
Chapter 4, "Qualitative and Mixed Methods in Evaluation," features a significantly greater emphasis on mixed methods of evaluation, including discussions of what a mixed method of evaluation is and how to design a mixed method of evaluation.
Chapter 5, "Formative and Process Evaluation," presents a new logic model diagram as well as new material describing the seven foci for process evaluation.
Chapter 6, "Single System Research Designs," includes a new section on logical and causal inference and new material on how to critically review and write-up a single system research design for program evaluation purposes.
Chapter 7, "Client Satisfaction," presents new material on the arguments for client satisfaction studies as well as new information on qualitative client satisfaction.

Features

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Updated throughout, this edition includes new or expanded coverage of the difference between research and evaluation, ethical boundaries in participatory and action research, mixed methods of evaluation, logical and causal inference, distinguishing between evaluation questions and hypotheses, and more.
Questions for class discussion, presented at the end of each chapter, help students to apply the concepts covered and provide them with opportunities to share ideas and interact with each other.
Chapter-ending mini-projects give students an opportunity to experience evaluation firsthand.
Instructor's ancillaries, which are available online, provide you with additional teaching resources that facilitate course preparation. These resources are available to adopters and are password protected.

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Preface.
1. Introduction.
2. Ethical Issues in Program Evaluation.
3. Needs Assessment.
4. Qualitative and Mixed Methods in Evaluation.
5. Formative and Process Evaluation .
6. Single System Research Designs.
7. Client Satisfaction.
8. Sampling.
9. Group Research Designs.
10. Cost-Effectiveness and Cost Analysis.
11. Measurement Tools and Strategies.
12. Illustrations of Instruments.
13. Pragmatic Issues.
14. Writing Evaluation Proposals, Reports, and Journal Articles.
Index.