Impact Evaluations and Development: Nonie Guidance on Impact Evaluation

In international development, impact evaluation is principally concerned with final results of interventions (programs, projects, policy measures, reforms) on the welfare of communities, households, and individuals, including taxpayers and voters. Impact evaluation is one tool within the larger toolkit of monitoring and evaluation (including broad program evaluations, process evaluations, ex ante studies, etc.).The Network of Networks for Impact Evaluation (NONIE) was established in 2006 to foster more and better impact evaluations by its membership -- the evaluation networks of bilateral and multilateral organizations focusing on development issues, as well as networks of developing country evaluators. NONIE's member networks conduct a broad set of evaluations, examining issues such as project and strategy performance, institutional development, and aid effectiveness. By sharing methodological approaches and promoting learning by doing on impact evaluations, NONIE aims to promote the use of this more specific approach by its members within their larger portfolio of evaluations. This document, by Frans Leeuw and Jos Vaessen, has been developed to support this focus.For development practitioners, impact evaluations play a keyrole in the drive for better evidence on results and development effectiveness. They are particularly well suited to answer important questions about whether development interventions do or do not work, whether they make a difference, and how cost-effective they are. Consequently, they can help ensure that scarce resources are allocated where they can have the most developmental impact

Workshop ANIPLAN - Payerbach Reichenau. Programme and presentations

Workshop ANIPLAN, May 11th-14th, 2009, Reichenau, Payerbach Reichenau, Austria. Programme and presentations

Qualitative Research: A Grounded Theory Example and Evaluation Criteria

The qualitative research paradigm, although occasionally applied, is not widely discussed in agribusiness and agricultural economics literature. The primary goals of this paper are (a) to present insights into qualitative research approaches and processes by outlining grounded theory as an example of a systematic and rigorous qualitative approach, and (b) to discuss criteria for scientific rigor applicable to qualitative research. In addition, assessing qualitative research is demonstrated by using a published example.management research, methodology, qualitative research methods, reliability, validity, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

The qualitative orientation in medical education research

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Improving case study research in medical education: A systematised review

Context:Case study research (CSR) is a research approach that guides holistic investigation of a real phenomenon. This approach may be useful in medical education to provide critical analyses of teaching and learning, and to reveal the underlying elements of leadership and innovation. There are variations in the definition, design and choice of methods, which may diminish the value of CSR as a form of inquiry.Objectives:This paper reports an analysis of CSR papers in the medical education literature. The review aims to describe how CSR has been used and how more consistency might be achieved to promote understanding and value.Methods:A systematised review was undertaken to quantify the number of CSR articles published in scholarly medical education journals over the last 10 years. A typology of CSR proposed by Thomas and Myers to integrate the various ways in which CSR is constructed was applied.Results:Of the 362 full‐text articles assessed, 290 were excluded as they did not meet the eligibility criteria; 76 of these were titled ‘case study’. Of the 72 included articles, 50 used single‐case and 22 multi‐case design; 46 connected with theory and 26 were atheoretical. In some articles it was unclear what the subject was or how the subject was being analysed.Conclusions:In this study, more articles titled ‘case study’ failed than succeeded in meeting the eligibility criteria. Well‐structured, clearly written CSR in medical education has the potential to increase understanding of more complex situations, but this review shows there is considerable variation in how it is conducted, which potentially limits its utility and translation into education practice. Case study research might be of more value in medical education if researchers were to follow more consistently principles of design, and harness rich observation with connection of ideas and knowledge to engage the reader in what is most interesting

The Local Relevance of Human Rights: A Methodological Approach

This paper proposes a methodology for examining the use and relevance of human rights in local communities as they quest to change their reality of poverty, social exclusion or marginalisation. The methodology draws on an innovative conceptual approach denominated ‘localising human rights,’ a process which takes the human rights needs and claims formulated by local people as a basis for further interpreting and elaborating human rights in the context of economic globalisation. This paper, through a literature review of interdisciplinary methodological approaches and participatory case studies, offers an introduction on how local communities’ use of human rights can be researched in the context of field studies.