I General Research Methods sites
Academic sites
Lecture notes on research methods http://www.apsu.edu/oconnort/3760/3760lects.htm
brief guide with links.
PPA 696 Research Methods http://www.csulb.edu/~msaintg/ppa696/696menu.htm#PPA
696 very nice overview on different research methods.
Research Methods WWW tutorial http://sociology.camden.rutgers.edu/jfm/tutorial/main.htm
tutorial on some basics of research methods. Not yet complete.
Educational research lectures
http://www.southalabama.edu/coe/bset/johnson/dr_johnson/2lectures.htm
actually brief outlines of general methods, including qualitative,
historical,
statistical analysis, etc....
Susan Losh's home page http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~slosh//Index.htm
lists a class:
basic research methods guides http://edf5481-01.fa02.fsu.edu/Overview.html
introduction to different methods, eg, surveys, focus groups, some less
structured methods.
The research room http://www.uh.edu/~srama/index.htm
This " is your reference source for information and resources about
conducting social science research."
On line research methods http://www.geog.le.ac.uk/orm/site/home.htm
aimed at understanding how to do research on line.
Methods Used in Instructional Assessment and Evaluation http://www.utexas.edu/academic/diia/assessment/iar/index.php
program evaluation section has a brief description and how to's for
document analysis, experiments,
focus groups, interviews, surveys.
Ruths sociology resources
http://www.ruthssociology.com/
has a section on research
methods, overview, some detailed presentations.
Audience Dialogue's techniques http://www.audiencedialogue.org/techniques.html
includes guides on many different methods, such as questionnaire,
fieldwork, sampling, etc. One section is Know your audience
http://www.audiencedialogue.org/kya.html
This
is part of the audience dialog site http://www.audiencedialogue.org/index.html
s-cool sociology methods http://www.s-cool.co.uk/topic_principles.asp?loc=pr&topic_id=22&subject_id=64&ebt=282&ebn=&ebs=&ebl=&elc=13
brief descriptions of different methods such as participant
observation,
experiments, sampling, comparative methods, and secondary data
analysis.
This is at s-cool, http://www.s-cool.co.uk/default.asp
then click on A level methods, then sociology, then methods.
Government
Statistics: Power from data. http://www.statcan.ca/english/edu/power/toc/contents.htm
has sections describing data collection methods,
questionnaires.
II: Evaluation: how to, approaches,
manuals,
guides
These also often include research methods as well.
Start here
Introduction to Evaluation http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/intreval.htm
covers basics such as definitions, types, eval questions and methods.
Introduction to Program Evaluation for Public Health Programs: A
Self-Study Guide http://www.cdc.gov/eval/whatsnew.htm
overview of most of evaluation.
Managing
evaluations
The Program Manager's Guide to Evaluation http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/other_resrch/pm_guide_eval/reports/pmguide/pmguide_toc.html
topics include 'why evaluate your program', who should conduct, how to
hire, and so on.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation
Handbook http://www.wkkf.org/pubs/Tools/Evaluation/Pub770.pdf
The Kellogg Foundation is an
organization
that gives grants, and this handbook is "written primarily for project
directors who have direct responsibility for the ongoing evaluation of
W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded projects" so a lot of it is an
overview
of evaluation, the processes involved, and of important considerations
in making decisions about the evaluation process. Not exactly a
"how-to",
but a comprehensive guide to decisions involved in the evaluation
process.
They
keep changing the location of this book, so you may have to search.
The Programme Manager’s Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit http://www.unfpa.org/monitoring/toolkit.htm "The toolkit is a supplement to the UNFPA programming guidelines. It provides guidance and options for UNFPA Country Office staff to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) activities in the context of results based programme management. It is also useful for programme managers at headquarters and for national programme managers and counterparts." Hopefully useful to others as well.
Evaluation Guidelines http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-32492-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
includes "Selecting and Managing an Evaluation Consultant or
Team" and a couple of other things about managing evaluation.
Academic sites
Manual and Handbooks http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/index.php
manuals on how to evaluation specific types of programs, such as
national
aids programs, and reproductive health programs.
Some are listed on the manuals page, but also search for the type
"manuals, handbooks and guides".
Richard A. Krueger's site http://www.tc.umn.edu/~rkrueger/
has some brief guides for various topics about evaluation, such as
strategies,
logic models, but also tips about surveys, interviewing, observations,
focus groups.
Evaluation
cookbook http://www.icbl.hw.ac.uk/ltdi/cookbook/contents.html
evaluation methods for lecturers, but some of the guides seem
appropriate
for everyone. The preparation page has some info on questionnaires,
scaling,
etc.
Community-Based Project Evaluation Guide http://ag.arizona.edu/fcs/cyfernet/cyfar/evalgde.htm
A cyfernet guide, funded in part from USDA and Cooperative Extensions.
One set of manuals is Alternative Methods for
Collecting Evaluation Data
http://ag.arizona.edu/fcs/cyfernet/cyfar/evaldata.htm
which includes overviews on using focus groups, interviews, cost
analysis
and existing records for evaluation
Rutgers
Cooperative Extension publications http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/subcategory.asp?cat=11&sub=70
lists the following publications, A Step-By-Step Guide to Developing
Questionnaires
and Survey Research Procedures for Program Evaluation & Research,
Choosing
a Data Collection Method for Survey Research, Maximizing Response Rate
and Controlling Nonresponse Error in Survey Research, and Choosing
Appropriate
Research Methods to Evaluate Educational Programs. These are all short
(2-3 page) pdf files.
If above link doesn't work, try http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/default.asp
then click on Educational Design and Program Evaluation then
Rutgers
Cooperative
Extension
Penn
State Program Evaluation Tip sheets http://www.extension.psu.edu/evaluation/
a bunch of guides to many aspects.of program evaluation, including
methods such as creating questionnaires, data collection methods,
research design, sampling, etc.
Univ of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension
publications has these sections: Collecting and
analyzing data http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Collecting-Analyzing-Data-C237.aspx
and Designing evaluation http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Designing-Evaluations-C238.aspx
Program Evaluation Measurement Resource http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~brick/dcc1pg.htm
from Michigan State University Department of Agricultural and Extension
Education. Includes Introduction to
Program Evaluation http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~brick/suved2.htm
a brief overview of evalaution issues and methods.
Government sites
From the UK
The Magenta Book: Guidance Notes on Policy
Evaluation http://www.policyhub.gov.uk/magenta_book/
from their site: "The Government Chief Social Researcher's Office has
prepared this set of guidance notes on policy evaluation and analysis
to help ‘intelligent customers’ and ‘intelligent providers’ determine
what constitutes high quality work in the field on policy evaluation
and analysis." This has info on what is evaluation and how to do it,
eg, some notes on research methods.
Green Book,
Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/greenbook/data_greenbook_index.cfm
links to the web version http://greenbook.treasury.gov.uk/
which is a brief guide. "This new edition of the Green
Book, Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government, incorporates
revised guidance, to encourage a more thorough, long-term and
analytically robust approach to appraisal and evaluation. It is
relevant to all appraisals and evaluations."
Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluation http://www.elwa.org.uk/elwaweb/elwa.aspx?pageid=2065
This guide "give a basic introduction to the process and purpose of
evaluation" and "outline the steps that project or programme managers
should go through in designing, briefing and using the results of an
evaluation. "
From Canada
Evaluation Took Kit Series http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/php-psp/toolkit.html
from the Public Health Agency of Canada..
"a practical, step-by-step guide to evaluating programs. It is
presented
in a series of short modules with simple explanations and specific
tools for planning, conducting and using evaluation."
Guide to Project Evaluation: A Participatory Approach http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/fvprojevaluation_e.html
some brief outlines of the steps to take in participatory
evaluation.
This is all in one page. This site http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/resources/guide/
has it in sections.
National Science Foundation: has three reports
available on line:
User-Friendly Handbook for Mixed Method
Evaluations http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/REC/pubs/NSF97-153/start.htm
The User-Friendly Handbook for Project
Evaluation http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02057/start.htm
Footprints: Strategies for Non-Traditional Program
Evaluation
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf9541
An Evaluation Primer http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HEC/evalprmr.html
This is actually a primer on Health Risk Communication Programs and
Outcomes,
but it also has info useful for other evaluators.
CDC Evaluation Working Group
http://www.cdc.gov/eval/index.htm
This site is about the CDC Evaluation Working Group and its efforts to
promote program evaluation at the CDC and throughout the public health
system. See especially their "highlights of a framework for
program
evaluation", and their links page which is a really comprehensive list
of links. Their categories include Ethics, Principles and
Standards,
Organizations, Societies, Foundations, Associations, Journals and
On-Line
Publications, Step-by-Step Manuals, Logic Model Resources, Planning and
Performance Improvement Tools.
CDC also has this Demonstrating your programs worth: A Primer on Evaluation for Programs to Prevent Unintentional Injury http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/dypw/Index.htm very brief overview of many different methods, and some general info on evaluation.
Measuring the Difference: Guide to Planning
and
Evaluating Health Information Outreach http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/guide/
you can also order single copies for free at
http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/
These are old or archived Dept of Ed documents:
Planning and Evaluation Wizard
http://som.flinders.edu.au/FUSA/SACHRU/PEW/index.htm
see the evaluation zone
Impact Evaluation: Methodological and Operational
Issues http://www.adb.org/Documents/Handbooks/Impact-Analysis/default.asp
"This quick reference provides an overview of methods available for
evaluating impacts of development programs, and addresses some common
operational concerns about their practical application." From the
Asian Development Bank.
A Guide to Evaluation Primers http://www.rwjf.org/grantees/howtotools/researchguidance.jhtml
A review by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation of several evaluation
guides, who should use them, how easy to use, etc.
Basic Guide to Program Evaluation
http://www.managementhelp.org/evaluatn/fnl_eval.htm
Written by Carter McNamara, PhD, this is an on line guide to
program
evaluation,
which describes many of the methods used, for example, surveys,
interviewing,
focus groups, and other methods. This site also has many useful
links.
Evaluation Unit http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-26266-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
International Development Research Center has various
publications,
guidelines, other useful stuff.
Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical
Approach.
http://national.unitedway.org/outcomes/resources/mpo/
This book is $5 if ordered from non profit human service agencies. (The
only resource on this page that isn't free, but it's cheap.)
Includes
excerpts. This book and other resources are listed at http://national.unitedway.org/outcomes/library/pgmomres.cfm
Taking Stock: A Practical Guide to Evaluating
Your Own Programs http://www.horizon-research.com/reports/
This is their publications list page. "Taking Stock" is listed on
this page, at http://www.horizon-research.com/reports/1997/taking_stock.php
This is from Horizon Research, Inc., a private research firm. The
guide is an overview of four steps in evaluation: framing the
evaluation,
defining goals and objectives, finding evidence, making sense of the
evidence.
The Snyder evaluation process http://www.uq.net.au/action_research/arp/snyder.html
"To understand, to improve, to continue improving... these are
the
goals addressed by the evaluation process described in this
document.
The vehicles for doing this are a systems model of a project or
organisation,
and a three-stage process of process evaluation, outcome evaluation,
and
short-cycle evaluation."
Evaluating Comprehensive Community Change http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid={11D8B194-2328-41AC-9BD9-791DC4326A09}
mainly about approach to evaluations, with some discussion of issues of
data collection and use.
IFAD Evaluation http://www.ifad.org/evaluation/index.htm
Includes A Guide for Project Management and Evaluation http://www.ifad.org/evaluation/oe/process/guide/index.htm
which has an explanation of background and rationale, and "to
facilitate
the development, installation and use of effective project-level
M&E
systems as tools for impact-oriented management."
Table of Contents Annex D - Methods for Monitoring and Evaluation
http://www.ifad.org/evaluation/guide/annexd/index.htm
has a bunch of how to topics, eg about sampling, observation, surveys,
etc.
Challenges in Program Evaluation of Health Interventions in Developing
Countries. Barbara O. Wynn, Arindam Dutta, Martha I. Nelson
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG402/
The authors provide an overview of various approaches, methodologies,
and issues related to program evaluation for health projects in
developing countries
Japan International Cooperation Agency Evaluation
Guides http://www.jica.go.jp/english/evaluation/guides/index.html
some issues, overviews, some methods.
Pathfinder International has these guides
http://www.pathfind.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Pubs_MandE_Guides
such as guides on evaluating health programs, and doing surveys.
Some of the guides are also listed here http://www.fhi.org/en/Youth/YouthNet/Publications/Focus/ToolsGuides/index.htm
in chapters, and this book has methods chapters http://www.fhi.org/en/HIVAIDS/pub/Archive/evalchap/index.htm
chapters 8 to 13.
Evaluating Programs for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care in Developing
Countries http://www.fhi.org/en/HIVAIDS/pub/Archive/evalchap/index.htm
Specific for HIV research but has general chapters such as Uses of
Behavioral Data for Program Evaluation, Indicators and Questionnaires
for Behavioral Surveys, and Assessing the Validity and
Reliability of Self-Reported Behavioral Data.
Evaluation Primer http://www.coalitioninstitute.org/Evaluation-Research/EvaluationResearchHome.asp
overview of methods etc. I think this organization is sponsored by the
US govt.
Evaluation toolkit http://www.evaluationtrust.org/tools/
Overview on many topics about evaluation, how to pick a consultant, how
to observe, etc.
A Participatory Model for Evaluating Social Programs http://www.irvine.org/publications/by_topic/evaluation.shtml
Part case study and part instruction guide
UNESCOs Evaluation Manual http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=24425&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
has overview of evaluation, guide to surveys and to interviewing.
UNDP methodological publications, http://www.undp.org/eo/