Publication | Closed Access
Fourth-Generation Evaluation
6K
Citations
0
References
1988
Year
NursingBehavioral SciencesPerformance StudiesGuba RefersEvaluation MeasureEvaluation ProfessionOutcomes ResearchFourth-generation EvaluationEducationEvaluation MethodologyResearch EvaluationEvaluationEducational EvaluationPublic HealthHealth EvaluationExperimental PsychologyEvaluation TechniqueProgram Evaluation
Naturalistic program evaluation, increasingly accepted for studying program processes, is known as fourth‑generation evaluation but is hampered by the extensive time and effort it demands. The study aims to conduct a health‑field evaluation within the naturalistic paradigm while reducing its resource intensity. The authors carried out a health‑field evaluation that adhered to naturalistic methods and incorporated design choices to lessen the time and effort required.
Abstract: Naturalistic program evaluation strategies are gaining acceptance within the evaluation profession. They are especially useful in the examination of the transaction, or process, components of programs. One of their disadvantages is that they demand extensive quantities of evaluator time and effort which are difficult to arrange. Guba refers to evaluation conducted within the naturalistic paradigm (as distinct from the use of naturalistic techniques) as fourth-generation evaluation. This article describes an evaluation study in the health field that attempted to stay within the naturalistic paradigm while mitigating some of the drawbacks of the methodological process of naturalistic evaluation.