This supplementary guide is for students who are learning how to evaluate published reports of empirical research. Numerous excerpts from journals in... the social and behavioral sciences provide examples that allow students to learn the practical aspects of evaluating research. By de-emphasizing jargon, this book allows students to begin evaluating research with confidence. New to this edition: Throughout this edition, the examples from published research reports have been updated. In addition, the coverage in most chapters has been expanded.

A carefully organized and engaging comprehensive guide to analyzing research articles.   Extensively revised and updated in its sixth edition,... Evaluating Research in Communicative Disorders teaches both students and practitioners to read, understand, and evaluate research published in communicative sciences and disorders journals. With an emphasis on scientific principals and scientific inquiry, this richly illustrated and interactive text provides a solid foundation for clinical practice for all levels of readers by linking research information on treatment efficacy to direct clinical applications.   The sixth edition of Evaluating Research in Communicative Disorders has been reorganized to reflect the structure typically found in a research articles. Accompanied by helpful tables and figures, each chapter begins with an outline and concludes with a list of key terms and a newly developed set of study questions.

Aids students in understanding and interpreting quantitative research articles Designed for anyone who needs to learn to read and understand empirical... reports in the social and behavioral sciences, this multidisciplinary book provides individuals with the knowledge necessary to understand research without overwhelming them with information about how to conduct research. His enthusiasm for methods present on every page, author Francis C. Dane wants readers to have the skills to evaluate research and critically use empirical results. Readers will gain a greater appreciation for the ways in which consuming research can add to their understanding of the way the world works and how they can enhance their efforts to improve it.Key FeaturesEvery facet of evaluating research is covered-from key terms and concepts to communicating the final resultsThe author pairs statistical concepts and procedures with appropriate research methods Strong pedagogy such as chapter overviews, summaries, key terms, and application exercises allows readers to check their understanding of the materialThis book can be used in both upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level courses in public policy, public health, education, sociology, psychology, social work and nursing.

This updated edition of the bestseller features a five-step NCLB-based process that demonstrates how skillfully administered annual program evaluations... result in lasting educational benefits.

Leavitt aims to sensitize those who hope to do original scientific research to think creatively and critically about the literature they read, the... questions they ask, the conceptual foundation of various research designs, and proper inferences from those designs. His highly accessible style avoids the technical language as he engagingly presents the complex and controversial issues related to scientific research. The book is divided into sections that deal with separate types of problems. Section I defines science and discusses its limitations; Section II helps to prepare the scientist for research with information about reading and evaluating the literature, recognizing conflicts of interest, finding a good problem, and asking good questions. The next two sections explore measurement issues and research designs. The final sections examine data analysis and raise philosophical issues.

  Evaluating Sex Offenders is the first and only "how to" book describing the complete sex offender civil commitment evaluation. Aimed at helping... practitioners, clinicians, counselors, and parole officers assess risk and evaluate offenders who have been convicted of a sex crime, the text offers readers a step-by-step description of what examiners need to know, including information gathering, interviewing offenders, and writing reports. Chapter topics include: defining risk; data gathering; diagnostic issues; recidivism base rates; risk factor lists; actuarial scales; instrumentation (violent and sexual); the evaluation report; presenting in court; ethical issues.

Program Evaluation uses a practical, reader-friendly approach to de-mystify evaluation research, clarifying evaluation's relationship to social work... practice and providing the knowledge necessary to conduct it. This book assumes some familiarity with traditional research methods and basic statistics or are currently studying them. It contains all necessary definitions and brief explanations of essential research terminology and concepts. However, it relates them directly to their usage in evaluation research, which is often quite diffent from the way they are used in traditional research. Well organized with excellent flow from chapter to chapter, Program Evaluation does not read like a research methods book, making it the most accessible book on evaluation research available.

Evaluating Teachers of Music Performance Groups provides a practical approach to evaluating teachers of music performance groups that can be used by... supervisors, educators, and students.An effective evaluation system must define the teaching task and provide supervisors with the knowledge and skills to use the system. Part One of the book presents the basic documents for defining the teaching task. These include an evaluation calendar, an effective teacher profile, and five sample job descriptions. Part Two provides a review of the evaluation process with an emphasis on analyzing and evaluating music instruction. Included are sample forms for the different steps of the process, and a discussion of topics such as clinical supervision, setting goals and objectives, recording information during observations, the diagnostic/prescriptive process, and plans for assistance. The forms provided can be enlarged and copied for use by the purchaser. Those with supervisory responsibilities—both experienced and inexperienced—will find practical ideas and useful procedures readily adaptable to their professional needs. The materials presented may also serve as a resource for college subjects such as administration and supervision of school music and for courses in which undergraduates visit public school music classrooms to observe and analyze instruction.

Gaining form and momentum over the second half of the 20th century, the Church Growth movement has become an enormous shaping force on the Western... church today. You may love it, you may hate it, but you can't deny its impact. But what exactly is Church Growth? In what ways has the movement actually brought growth to the church, and how effective has it been in doing so? What are its strengths and weaknesses? This timely book addresses such questions. After providing a richly informative history and overview, it explores---in a first-ever roundtable of their leading voices---five main perspectives, both pro and con, on the classic Church Growth movement: * Effective Evangelism View (Elmer Towns) * Gospel in Our Culture View (Craig Van Gelder) * Centrist View (Charles Van Engen) * Reformist View (Gailyn Van Rheenan) * Renewal View (Howard Snyder) As in other Counterpoints books, each view is first presented by its proponent, then critiqued by his co-contributors. The book concludes with reflections by three seasoned pastors who have grappled with the practical implications of Church Growth. The interactive and fair-minded nature of the Counterpoints format allows the reader to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed, personal conclusions. The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Exploring Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

This upcoming third edition defines and illustrates the measurement and relevance of effectiveness, efficiency, and equity as criteria for evaluating... healthcare system performance. Specific examples of the application of health services research in addressing contemporary health policy problems at the national, state, and local level are presented. This new edition will include a significant amount of new material. In particular, the book will draw upon a growing body of research on the social and economic determinants of population health, and explore the distinct and complementary roles of health services and public health research and policy in improving the health of individuals and communities. An important healthcare and public health problem area woven throughout the book in demonstrating the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity concepts in the context of these issues is breast and cervical cancer prevention and treatment and related cancer morbidity and mortality outcomes. This example provides a useful opportunity to explore the medical and non-medical predictors of health and healthcare disparities, the role of primary versus secondary prevention, and the utility of the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity benchmarks in guiding the design of state and federal policy to ameliorate disparities.

The Evidence-Based Nursing Series is co-published with Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI). The series focuses on implementing evidence-based practice... in nursing and midwifery and mirrors the remit of Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, encompassing clinical practice, administration, research and public policy.Evaluating the Impact of Implementing Evidence-Based Practice considers the importance of approaches to evaluate the implementation of evidence-based practice. Outcomes of evidence-based practice can be wide ranging and sometimes unexpected.  It is therefore important to evaluate the success of any implementation in terms of clinical outcomes, influence on health status, service users and health policy and long-term sustainability, as well as economic impacts.This, the third and final book in the series, looks at how best to identify, evaluate and assess the outcomes of implementation , reflecting  a wide range of issues to consider and address when planning and measuring outcomes. An informative, practical resource for an international readershipProviding critical evaluation of models and approaches  to measuring outcomesExplores the importance of measuring successful implementationExamines outcomes in terms of long-term sustainabilityAddresses economic impacts and influence on health policy Provides practice-based examplesWritten by a team of internationally respected authors

The "Kirkpatrick Model" for evaluating training programs is the most widely used approach in the corporate, government, and academic worlds. First... developed in 1959, it focuses on four key areas: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. "Evaluating Training Programs" provides a comprehensive guide to Kirkpatrick's four-level model, along with detailed case studies that show how the approach is used successfully in a wide range of programs and institutions. The third edition revises and updates existing material and includes new strategies for managing change effectively.

What do Honus Wagner baseball cards, Queen Anne side chairs, and 19th-century ceramic lions have in common? At first glance, very little. Yet Evaluating... Your Collection sets out to discuss this wide range of things that people collect, in order to guide them to a greater level of knowledge. Is an object really worth the price? How does one know what to look for? Can one recognize fakes and invisible repairs? What about color, finish, and form? In 1961, Charles F. Montgomery, Winterthur's first director, articulated a system for educating the eye and appraising the quality of an object. His fourteen points of connoisseurship, along with additions by Winterthur curators, conservators, and educators, form an unbeatable system. Understanding them, and how they interrelate, equips readers with a basic expertise necessary to operate in the world of antiques. Compact, reader-friendly, and illustrated in full color with objects largely from Winterthur's outstanding collection, this and future series volumes provide invaluable advice. Armed with tips from the experts, your trips to estate auctions, flea markets, or your grandmother's attic will never be the same.

This timely and accessible guide on the conduct of evaluation studies explores how we apply research methods in evaluating social programs,... illustrating its points with reference to a variety of fields, including education, social services, and criminal justice. Offers practical advice on understanding the reasons for the study, identifying key questions to be answered, and planning and implementing the overall design of the study, including measurement, qualitative methods of inquiry, data collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination. Stresses that understanding the underlying theory of the program is essential to developing the most appropriate evaluation, and emphasizes the need to take ethical considerations into account all along the course of the study. Covers meta-analysis, cost-benefit analysis and includes a non-technical discussion of the logic of data analysis. Includes references to further sources on measurement, existing longitudinal data sets, statistics, and qualitative analysis. For professionals in psychology, sociology, public health, public policy/affairs, education, and criminal justice.