NCJ Number
62498
Journal
Evaluation and Program Planning Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (1979) Pages: 173-177
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
METHODOLOGICAL PITFALLS IN USING SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC DATA FOR EVALUATION ARE DISCUSSED. THE RELEVANCE OF THESE DATA FOR PROGRAM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IS EXAMINED ALSO.
Abstract
A LITERATURE REVIEW INDICATES THAT RESEARCHERS AND EVALUATORS TYPICALLY INCLUDE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES IN THEIR ANALYSES; HOWEVER, MANY STUDIES SUFFER BECAUSE OF THE MANNER BY WHICH SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC DATA ARE OBTAINED AND ANALYZED. SOME COMMON METHODOLOGICAL ERRORS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES OFTEN ARE EVALUATED INDEPENDENTLY OF ONE ANOTHER, SO THAT INTERVENING, EXTRANEOUS, SUPPRESSOR, AND DISTORTER EFFECTS ARE MASKED; (2) BECAUSE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES TEND TO DIFFER ACROSS STUDIES, THE MEANING OF A VARIABLE IS FREQUENTLY CLOUDED AND THE TRANSFER OF RESULTS IS HAMPERED; (3) SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES MAY HAVE MULTIPLE INDICATORS THAT CAN BE MEASURED IN SEVERAL WAYS THEREBY CONFOUNDING THE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSFER OF RESULTS; AND (4) GLOBAL VARIABLES ARE OFTEN CONSTRUCTED TO POSIT GENERAL OR COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS, A PROCESS, WHICH CONFOUNDS THE COMPONENT ASPECTS OF RELATIONSHIPS AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THE DERIVED DATA. CASE STUDIES ARE PROVIDED TO ILLUSTRATE EACH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES, AND REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (RCB)