Deck 13: Evaluation Research Methods

Question 1

A collection of research methods designed to determine whether or not a program, process, or policy is achieving its intended outcome is called:

A) evaluation research.
B) feasibility research.
C) policy analysis.
D) impact study.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Evaluation research generally considers all of the following questions regarding a policy, process, or program except:

A) if there are unintended consequences.
B) if the policy or program is effective.
C) if the policy or program is efficient.
D) if there is public support for the program.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Evaluation research should focus:

A) only on the intended outcomes of the program being evaluated.
B) only on the unintended outcomes of the program being evaluated.
C) equally on the intended and unintended outcomes of the program being evaluated.
D) neither on the intended nor unintended outcomes of the program being evaluated.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following could not be said about evaluation research?

A) Evaluation researchers should steer clear of controversial subjects.
B) Formal hypotheses are required before starting an evaluation.
C) It is rare to see evaluations that are descriptive in nature.
D) The use of multiple methods is becoming more popular.

Question 5

Where would you be most likely to find an evaluation research report?

A) A scholarly journal
B) A popular magazine
C) An academic database
D) An agency website

Question 6

Evaluation research:

A) cannot be published in a scholarly journal because it is not scholarly.
B) may be published in a scholarly journal.
C) is generally considered ""unpublishable.""
D) should only be published when the results indicate the program was effective.

Question 7

Evaluation research is almost always:

A) applied research.
B) qualitative research.
C) quantitative research.
D) theoretical research.

Question 8

Gaining access to the data necessary to complete evaluation research is sometimes difficult because:

A) a court order is almost always required to access public records.
B) criminal justice programs are, by law, protected from public and private scrutiny.
C) individuals may want to avoid an objective evaluation of their program.
D) the data almost never exist in a form that is unadulterated and unbiased.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about the interpretation and communication phase of evaluation research is most accurate?

A) It is common to allow agency representatives to put their ""spin"" on the results.
B) It is important to be up front about the limitations of the data used in the report.
C) It is rare to allow beneficiaries of the evaluated program to review the report draft.
D) It is not necessary to have the results of the study reviewed before publication.

Question 10

A systematic technique that compares the costs and benefits of an existing or future program, process, or policy is known as a(n):

A) accountability study.
B) cost-benefit analysis.
C) feasibility study.
D) program review.

Question 11

The criminal justice data, used in most evaluation studies, is notoriously:

A) incomplete.
B) inconsistent.
C) inaccurate.
D) deceptive.

Question 12

In a cost/benefit analysis, the loss of fine revenue in a proposal for removing parking meters from a downtown shopping area would be considered:

A) an indirect benefit.
B) a benefit.
C) a cost.
D) an unearned financial loss.

Question 13

The use of multiple data-gathering techniques to evaluate a program, process, or policy is called a(n):

A) hybrid approach.
B) adaptive method.
C) comprehensive method.
D) multiple methods approach.

Question 14

The identification of a program's unintended outcomes is:

A) relevant to evaluating research.
B) irrelevant to evaluating research.
C) not part of evaluating research.
D) the main objective of evaluating research.

Question 15

Without an agreed upon measure of program effectiveness evaluation research is:

A) ineffective.
B) effective.
C) relevant.
D) useful.

Question 16

The initial objective of most evaluation research is:

A) pure research.
B) applied research.
C) grounded research.
D) case study research.

Question 17

Evaluation research is most often published:

A) in scholarly literature.
B) in magazines.
C) in agency files and websites.
D) in research monographs.

Question 18

Operationalization in evaluation research most significantly includes:

A) defining the measures of the program's effectiveness.
B) determining the cost associated with the research project.
C) determining the political conflicts that will arise from the research.
D) developing contingency plans.

Question 19

The actual data-gathering methods used by evaluation researchers:

A) is what the client will pay for.
B) is what types of research questions are asked.
C) is what is politically feasible.
D) is what the researcher is qualified to do.

Question 20

When reporting on evaluation research, the media usually pays particular attention to the:

A) controversial findings.
B) literature review.
C) research design.
D) statistical techniques.