Evaluation research provides a pathway of supplying dependable proofs of a variety of social programs, especially in clinical practices. This research uses a variety of research techniques discussed in the previous chapters in order to come up with comprehensive results. For instance, evaluation research can be used by a hospital administration to assess the impact a 15% reduction on nursing stuff would have on patient care. It its basic form, evaluation research may incorporate analysis of available data, interviews, questionnaires, and experimental designs.
There are quite a number of reasons that may prompt an administrator to evaluate its workforce. For instance, this form of research is used to appraise organizational approaches.
It can also be used in assessing the impacts of organizational approaches (Monette, Sullivan, and Dejong, 2010). This implies that evaluation research plays an imperative role in assessing the effects of a particular organizational program on organizational goals and objectives. In general terms, it can be used to note how well a specific program achieves its intended goals. That notwithstanding, evaluation research can be conducted for administrative purposes.
Quite a number of evaluation researchers have in the past taken a rather positive view of their investigation activities. This implies that they perceived the various social programs they engage in as interventions that are meant to seek positive answers for all. These problems were perceived by these researchers as palpable social complications that needed quick rectification.
The researchers are thought to have devised viable scientific methods with the aim of finding long term and dependable solutions to these problems. The scientific solutions devised with the aim of finding solutions to social problems later became political in nature. This is because they were identified by who controls them (Monette, Sullivan, and Dejong, 2010).
As opposed to the past periods, recent evaluation researchers have since discovered the significance of incorporating stakeholders in social programs. The term stakeholder, in this context, refers to the members of society who have an interest in the manner in which the social programs are operated. The researchers also recognized the fact that virtually all social programs had specific stakeholders who embraced them.
In most situations, the stakeholders realized that stakeholders had conflicting interests as far as social programs were concerned. Despite the confliction of interests amongst stakeholders, it was also realized that evaluations were sponsored by only a limited number of stakeholders like governmental agencies. Researchers had a hard time providing valid and viable results to the public because most of their sponsors wanted evaluations to take directions that would favor them or else they would withdraw their sponsorship (Monette, Sullivan, and Dejong, 2010).
Evaluation research is very useful especially in the evaluation of the effectiveness of hospital administrations yet there are no distinct features that may be used to categorize it. This is because there are no separate classes of investigation techniques that can be distinctively applied for one purpose. However, investigators have since devised methods of classifying this form of research.
For instance, a unit of analysis has been used as a mode of classification. The intended goals of the researches conducted have also been used to categorize evaluation research. It has since been noted that evaluation research may be used to meet two basic objectives which are either formative or summative. Formative evaluation research is based on the provision of information that may assist in the planning and implementation of programs. Summative evaluation research, on the other hand, focuses on the effects on the implementation of certain social programs (Monette, Sullivan, and Dejong, 2010).
Conclusion
In conclusion, therefore, evaluation research has ready outcomes for use and can hence be applied in the assessment of quite a number of operational programs. Its results are precise and verifiable by reviewing documents used during the study such as questionnaires. For this reason, it is imperative that evaluation research is incorporated into the assessment of different classes of administrations.
Reference
Monette, D.R., Sullivan, T.J., & Dejong, C.R. (2010). Applied Social Research: A Tool for the Human Services (8th Edition). Boston, Mass: Thompson Publishing.