Setting out the basics of designing, conducting and analysing an evaluation study in healthcare, the authors take a practical approach, assuming no previous knowledge or experience of evaluation. All the basics are covered, including: - How to plan an evaluation - Research governance and ethics - Understanding data - Interpreting findings - Writing a report Cases included throughout to demonstrate evaluation in action, and self learning courses give the reader an opportunity to develop their skills further in the methods and analysis involved in evaluation.

Evaluation research can assess the value and effectiveness of interventions and innovations involving people. While this has often been on a grand scale, this book focuses on small-scale projects carried out by an individual or small group, typically lasting for weeks or at most a few months, at a local rather than national level. Using limited jargon and featuring integrated, real-world examples, this second edition offers a clear, accessible background to evaluation and prepares you to undertake your own small-scale evaluation research project. Key features include discussion of: Different approaches to evaluation and how to choose between them The advantages and disadvantages of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) Realist evaluation and its increasing importance The centrality of ethical and political issues The influence and opportunity of the Internet Tightly focused on the realities of carrying out small-scale evaluation, Small-Scale Evaluation is a highly practical guide covering the needs of both social scientists and others without this background. Colin Robson is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Human & Health Sciences at the University of Huddersfield.

Setting out the basics of designing, conducting and analysing an evaluation study in healthcare, the authors take a practical approach, assuming no previous knowledge or experience of evaluation. All the basics are covered, including: - How to plan an evaluation - Research governance and ethics - Understanding data - Interpreting findings - Writing a report Cases included throughout to demonstrate evaluation in action, and self learning courses give the reader an opportunity to develop their skills further in the methods and analysis involved in evaluation.

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.

"Informative, concise and grounded in actual experience, this is an introduction to negotiating, conducting and reporting on small-scale projects in the community. It is aimed at anyone who wishes to undertake small-scale evaluations for the first time and for students in sociology, applied social studies, health studies, education and psychology."--BOOK JACKET.

This handbook is designed to meet the needs of the growing number of health professionals who are engaged in processes of evaluation in a variety of contexts within the world of healthcare.

This easy-to-use handbook is a useful resource for all health professionals engaged in processes of evaluation in a variety of contexts within the world of healthcare. Encouraging an evidence-based approach to practice, it provides: * guidelines on how to design and evaluate an intervention * examples of good practice * reliable and easy-to-use measures * advice on how to work effectively. Designed to prompt self-evaluation and group project evaluation, it illustrates how simple evaluation methods can help to break down the divisions between research and practice. It shows how more practitioners can apply such methods to improve the quality of care as well as the treatments and services which they offer their patients and clients. The examples, drawn from clinical settings, community practice and work in the voluntary sector, demonstrate the kind of evaluation that can be undertaken by a small-scale team or a single practitioner with limited resources. The Evaluation Handbook will be a useful source of reference for those new to evaluation as well as more experienced managers and researchers.