Statistical and Other Data-Analytic Techniques for the Evaluation Researcher: An Identification, Classification, and Description of Methods and Resources

The goal of any social/health intervention program is to improve the lot of the people it is designed to serve. Of critical importance in the development and implementation of programs able to achieve such a goal is evaluation research (ER)—a process representing an interface between the generic notion of evaluation and the rigor of social research methodology. The evaluation researcher should be familiar with, and be capable of using, any of a number of (statistical and non-statistical) data-analytic techniques. The objectives of this discussion, therefore, are to (1) identify, categorize, and briefly describe statistical and other data-analytic techniques of potential use to the evaluation researchers; and (2) identify currently available resources, i.e., texts, books of readings, monographs, etc., that offer discussions and analyses of these techniques. It is hoped that such an exposition will lead to a wider understanding, acceptance, and use of these procedures, which can only enhance the quality of subsequent program policy and decisionmaking.