Encyclopedia of Evaluation [Hardcover]

Sandra Mathison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0761926097 | ISBN-13: 978-0761926092 | Edition: 1

The Encyclopedia of Evaluation is an authoritative, first-of-its-kind who, what, where, why, and how of the field of evaluation. Covering professional practice as well as academia, this volume chronicles the development of the field-its history, key figures, theories, approaches, and goals. From the leading publisher in the field of evaluation, this work is a must-have for all social science libraries, departments that offer courses in evaluation, and students and professional evaluators around the world. The entries in this Encyclopedia capture the essence of evaluation as a practice (methods, techniques, roles, people), as a profession (professional obligations, shared knowledge, ethical imperatives, events, places) and as a discipline (theories and models of evaluation, ontological and epistemological issues).

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Emphasis in this work is on "the components that make evaluation a practice, profession, and discipline." The audience is defined as "practitioners, theorists, and the public." The helpful readers' guide provides an overview of the types of information included. Concepts (Accountability, Peer review, Subjectivity); ethics and standards (Impartiality, Informed consent); approaches and models (Accreditation, Multicultural evaluation); organizations (ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, National Institutes of Health); and qualitative and quantitative methods (Checklists, Matrix sampling) are some of the areas that are covered. The more than 600 entries vary from a single paragraph to several pages in length, and many are accompanied by one or more suggested further-reading citations.

As explained in the preface, most of the literature on evaluation comes from the U.S., and the U.S. has a history of strong government support for evaluation. Nevertheless, the encyclopedia attempts to present an international perspective. Scattered throughout are boxes labeled "Evaluation Practice around the World" that describe a problem or issue in a specific country, such as Germany or Spain. One puzzling feature of the work is the more than 120 brief biographies of researchers and practitioners, a number of whom are also contributors. The profiles mostly describe career paths, and although of interest to fellow practitioners, they offer little to the general user looking for explanations and definitions.

The encyclopedia will be most useful in academic libraries and institutions with evaluation programs, though large public libraries should consider it. Linda Loos Scarth
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

In this new encyclopedia, veteran professor of education Sandra Mathison leads a team of 108 contributing experts in documenting the development of the field of evaluation and in defining its fundamental concepts and methods. . . . This groundbreaking guide should serve both students and professionals in evaluation. (John R.M. Lawrence Lawrence Looks at Books )

"The helpful readers' guide provides an overview of the types of information included. Concepts, ethics, approaches and models, organizations, and qualitative and quantitative methods are some of the areas that are covered. The encyclopedia will be most useful in academic libraries and institutions with evaluation programs." (Linda Scarth )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 520 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc; 1 edition (October 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761926097
• ISBN-13: 978-0761926092
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,769,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)