Resources
Have a resource you want to recommend? Let's us know by emailing maevaluate@gmail.com.
Evaluation Websites
Better Evaluation (www.betterevaluation.org)
EvaluATE (www.evalu-ate.org)
Eval Partners (www.evalpartners.org)
Evaluation Checklists (https://wmich.edu/evaluation/checklists)
Valeo Evaluation Training through WMU (https://www.valeoeval.com)
Evaluation Blogs
AEA 365: American Evaluation Association (aea365.org/blog/)Better Evaluation (www.betterevaluation.org)
EvaluATE (www.evalu-ate.org/blog)
Storytelling with Data (www.storytellingwithdata.com)
Evaluation Portal and Link Connection (www.evaluation.lars-balzer.name/links/)
For additional evaluation blogs, check out AEA's blog list.
Evaluation Podcasts
EvalCafe (evalcafe.wordpress.com)
Storytelling with Data (www.storytellingwithdata.com/podcast/)
Open Access Evaluation Journals
Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation (JMDE) (http://journals.sfu.ca/jmde)
Programs and Organizations
Educational Programs
Fully Online Master Degree or Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation | Michigan State University
Web-Based Certificate Program in Mixed Methods Research | University of Michigan
Doctoral Degree in Evaluation (Interdisciplinary) | Western Michigan University
Master Degree or Ph.D. in Evaluation, Measurement, and Research | Western Michigan University
Organizations
American Educational Research Association (www.aera.net)
The American Educational Research Association is concerned with improving the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education and by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results.American Evaluation Association (www.eval.org)
The AEA is an international professional association of evaluators devoted to the application and exploration of program evaluation, personnel evaluation, technology, and many other forms of evaluation. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products, and organizations to improve their effectiveness.Canadian Evaluation Society (www.evaluationcanada.ca)
CES is a professional organization dedicated to the advancement of evaluation for its members and the public.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)
Provides a variety of health-related resources and some software.Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University (www.wmich.edu/evaluation)
The Evaluation Center is a research and development unit that provides national and international leadership for advancing the theory and practice of evaluation, as applied to education and human services. Evaluation Support Services website is intended to increase the use and improve the quality of evaluations.
Western Michigan University Evaluation Café (http://wmich.edu/evaluation/cafe) (See main site above for most recent update.)
Lively discussions, engaging debates, and dynamic presentations about evaluation over the lunch hour. Bring your lunch, freshly brewed coffee and gourmet cookies provided.The Skillman Foundation (www.skillman.org)
The purpose of the Skillman Foundation is to improve the well-being of residents of metropolitan Detroit with emphasis on children, youth and families.W. K. Kellogg Foundation (www.wkkf.org)
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is "to help people help themselves through the practical application of knowledge and resources to improve their quality of life and that of future generations".
Additional Resources
Annenberg Institute for School Reform Tools for Accountability Project, a product of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform. The mission of the Tools for Accountability Project is to collect, analyze, and disseminate practices and strategies ("tools") that are being used continuous improvement and shared accountability with the community.
Best Practices Database (www.bestpractices.org) This searchable database contains over 2,650 proven solutions to the common social, economic and environmental problems of an urbanizing world. It demonstrates the practical ways in which communities, governments and the private sector are working together to eradicate poverty, provide shelter, protect the environment and support economic development.
Bill Trochim's Center for Social Research Methods (www.socialresearchmethods.net) This website is for people involved in applied social research and evaluation. The Knowledge Base is an online hypertext textbook on applied social research methods that covers everything you want to know about defining a research question, sampling, measurement, research design and data analysis. Selecting Statistics is an online statistical advisor! Answer the questions and it will lead you to an appropriate statistical test for your data.
CDC EZ-Text (www.cdc.gov/hiv/software/ez-text.htm) CDC EZ-Text is a qualitative software program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help researchers create, manage, and analyze semi-structured qualitative databases.
Census Bureau (www.census.gov/index.html) This site provides online access to census information
Courses for Evaluators (www.EvaluatorsInstitute.com) The Evaluators' Institute offers short-term professional development courses in various locations for practicing evaluators. Check their website for classes and certificate programs, dates, and class locations.
Evaluation Portal (www.evaluation.lars-balzer.name/links/societies-groups/usa) Find valuable information about evaluation.
Harvard Family Research Project (www.gse.harvard.edu/~hfrp) Harvard Family Research Project conducts research about programs and policies that serve children and families throughout the United States. The Evaluation Exchange is an interactive forum for the exchange of ideas, lessons, and practices in the evaluation of family support and community development programs, promoting discussion among persons from a variety of organizational affiliations and viewpoints.
Innovation Network Inc. (www.innonet.org) InnoNet is a 501(c) 3 organization dedicated to helping small to medium-sized nonprofit organizations successfully meet their missions. InnoNet has two services to meet this end: a search service to find model programs and an evaluation service that guides agencies through a planning and evaluation process. International Development Research Centre (www.idrc.ca/evaluation) (Unable to open at this time.)The Evaluation Unit is housed within IDRC's Corporate Services Branch and fulfills four primary roles for the Centre: coordinate strategic evaluations; develop tools and methodologies for monitoring and evaluation; build capacity for monitoring and evaluation within the Centre as well as with Centre partners; and provide technical assistance.
Outcome Measurement Resource Network (www.liveunited.org/outcomes/index.cfm) United Way of America's newly renovated Outcome Measurement Resource Network
Paired Comparison Tool (www.ssi.nrcs.usda.gov/SSIEnvPsy/nrcs/paircomp.html) The U.S. Department of Agriculture's interactive Paired Comparison program. This program was originally designed by George Peterson of the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station as a research tool for exploring how people value private and public goods.
Free Resources for Program Evaluation and Social Research Methods (http://gsociology.icaap.org/methods) This page lists FREE resources for methods in evaluation and social research. The focus is on "how-to" do evaluation research and the methods used: surveys, focus groups, sampling, interviews, and other methods. Most of these links are to resources that can be read over the web. A few, like the GAO books, are for books that can be sent away for, for free (if you live in the US), as well as read over the web.
Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) (www.ssri.psu.edu/) This website promotes interdisciplinary research that addresses complex national and international social issues and critical social needs, SSRI fosters communication and collaboration across the social sciences, enhances interdisciplinary networking and provides research consultation, support & accessible research services.
The World Bank Operations Evaluations Department (www.worldbank.org/oed) The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) is an independent unit within the World Bank; it reports directly to the Bank's Board of Executive Directors. IEG assesses what works, and what does not; how a borrower plans to run and maintain a project; and the lasting contribution of the Bank to a country's overall development. It also identifies and disseminates the lessons learned from experience and by framing recommendations drawn from evaluation finding.
User-Friendly Handbook for Mixed Method Evaluations (www.nsf.gov/pubs/1997/nsf97153/start.htm) This handbook is aimed at users who need practical rather than technically sophisticated advice about evaluation methodology.
Zip Codes in US (http://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/mi/)