NCJ Number
43791
Date Published
1977
Length
183 pages
Annotation
THIS TEXT TO GUIDE ADMINISTRATORS AND PLANNERS OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS IN USE OF BASIC RESEARCH TECHNIQUES FOR PROGRAM PLANNING AND GOOD DATA COLLECTION EMPHASIZES PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.
Abstract
THIS BOOK FOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED IN RESEARCH TECHNIQUES WAS WRITTEN TO HELP SUCH PERSONS DO THEIR OWN INFORMATION GATHERING FOR PLANNING, MONITORING, AND EVALUATING OR TO HELP THEM USE OUTSIDE RESEARCHERS MORE EFFECTIVELY. ALTHOUGH THE TECHNIQUES ARE DESCRIBED UNDER THE HEADINGS OF PROGRAM PLANNING, PROGRAM MONITORING, AND EVALUATION, IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT EACH TECHNIQUE CAN BE USED IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS; FLEXIBILITY IS THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE DATA COLLECTION. TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED INCLUDE: CONSTRUCTING QUESTIONNAIRES FOR NEED-ASSESSMENT SURVEYS, INTERVIEWING FOR RESOURCE SURVEYS, ASSESSING RESEARCH IN PLANNING INTERVENTION STRATEGIES, USING OBSERVATIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR PLANNING STAFF TRAINING PROGRAMS, USING FORMS TO CONDUCT A CLIENT CENSUS, USING FORMS TO MONITOR STAFF ACTIVITIES, SAMPLING AS A MEANS OF MONITORING STAFF PERFORMANCE, AND DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION FOR PROGRAM MONITORING. THE EVALUATION SECTION COVERS VARIOUS SURVEY DESIGNS, INCLUDING INTERRUPTED TIME SERIES, REPLICATED CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEYS, COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS, AND CROSSOVER DESIGNS. EACH TECHNIQUE IS DISCUSSED, THEN APPLIED IN A DETAILED CASE HISTORY. AN INDEX IS PROVIDED.