Small-Scale Evaluation: Principles and Practice - Softcover

Robson, Colin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761955100 ISBN 13: 9780761955108

Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2000

Synopsis

How can evaluation be used most effectively, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the various methods? Colin Robson provides guidance in a clear and uncluttered way. The issue of collaboration is examined step-by-step; stakeholder models are compared with techniques such as participatory evaluation and practitioner-centred action research; ethical and political considerations are placed in context; and the best ways of communicating findings are discussed. Each chapter is illustrated with helpful exercises to show the practical application of the issues covered, making this an invaluable introduction for anyone new to evaluation.

About this title

Review

A masterfully written text making complex issues approachable and very workable! Robson’s personable style as if engaged in a conversation with the reader entices and enlightens. It is rare to find a text that to such an extent combines user-friendliness and an engaging style without compromising scientific stringency, ethics or practical usefulness and common sense. This is indeed a treasure trove for students and professionals of any kind and everywhere whose study or work involves people in groups and organisations in need of development, change or just a healthy reality check on how their organisation is doing.

(Roland S Persson 2017-05-08)

This is a marvelous book. It communicates clearly and directly to the reader, making the subject accessible and usable rather than abstruse or forbidding.  Robson excels in thinking with the reader and getting the reader to think along with him, so that reading his work seems like collaborating with a helpful mentor.  Supported by many helpful diagrams and charts, he uses real-world situations, contexts, examples, and research literature to give the reader an understanding of how she might go about conducting actual research using this book as a guide.  He discusses the challenges a researcher can face in conducting evaluations, such as getting those being studied to collaborate in the research project, and the strengths and weaknesses, benefits and pitfalls of so doing. And it is of great value that his focus is specifically on small-scale evaluation, because that is the type of evaluation in which a student or budding researcher is most likely to be involved.  Robson is a great demystifier and guide--other research texts would benefit greatly from adopting Robson's style of thinking, writing, and guiding.
(Jeremy J. Shapiro 2017-06-07)

About the Author

Colin Robson is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Human & Health Sciences at the University  of Huddersfield. He directed a series of local, regional and national research and evaluation projects, mainly in aspects of special educational needs, at Huddersfield in association with the Hester Adrian Research Centre, University of Manchester. He subsequently was a supervisor for over twenty research students, mainly at Doctoral level, covering a wide range of disciplines - education, social work, management, music, and aspects of health, including nursing, midwifery and osteopathy, while developing and leading a postgraduate programe in Social Research and Evaluation. More recently he was, for over a decade, chief Consultant at the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation at OECD in Paris, for projects evaluating and comparing national systems for the education of students with disabilities, learning and behavioural difficulties and social disadvantages, and a follow-up project for Eurostat, the statistical arm of the European Union.

 

Edition details

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0761955100
• ISBN 13: 9780761955108
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 168