NCJ Number
49437
Date Published
1977
Length
14 pages
Annotation
FORMATIVE RESEARCH, A PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING PROGRAM EVALUABILITY AS WELL AS FACILITATING PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
FORMATIVE RESEARCH CAN BE USED FOR IDENTIFICATION OF A PROGRAM'S OPERATION, THE PROBLEMS IT ADDRESSES, AND THE EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAM. IT CAN ALSO HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM AND ASSISTS IN DETERMINING PROGRAM EVALUABILITY BY MONITORING THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM. THE TYPES OF INFORMATION COLLECTED IN THE COURSE OF FORMATIVE RESEARCH ARE: (1) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES; (2) EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAM; AND (3) CAUSAL ASSUMPTIONS MADE BY THE PROGRAM. REGARDING PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, THE CONCERN OF FORMATIVE RESEARCH IS TO VERIFY THE PRESENCE OF THE ACTIVITIES, AND TO DESCRIBE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE ACTIVITIES ARE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED. IT IS DETERMINED WHETHER THERE ARE 3UNIFORM ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN A SYSTEMATIC MANNER, AND WHETHER THESE ACTIVITIES ARE IN KEEPING WITH THE PRESCRIBED OR EXPECTED ACTIVITIES FOR THE PROGRAM BY MEANS OF DEVELOPING AN EVALUATION RESEARCH DESIGN FOR ESTABLISHING PROGRAM GOALS THROUGH AN EXAMINATION OF DOCUMENTS AND PERHAPS INTERVIEWS WITH PROGRAM PERSONNEL. MEASURES ARE THEN DEVELOPED FOR THESE GOALS. SIDE EFFECTS OR UNINTENDED EFFECTS CAN ALSO BE RECOGNIZED THROUGH FORMATIVE RESEARCH. IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE CAUSAL ASSUMPTIONS OF A PROGRAM, DATA ON THE CHARACTERISTICS AND PROBLEMS OF CLIENTS SERVED BY THE PROGRAM ARE COLLECTED. INFORMATION ON PROGRAM PERSONNEL, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CLIMATE, POLICY, AND THE CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH THE PROGRAM IS OPERATED ARE IS ALSO ASSEMBLED. FORMATIVE RESEARCH IS MAINLY AIMED AT DISCOVERY AND RELIES HEAVILY ON AN INDUCTIVE APPROACH. IT IS NOT A PARTICULAR METHODOLOGY OF SOCIAL RESEARCH, RATHER IT IS A PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING PROGRAM EVALUABILITY AND FOR INCREASING THE EVALUABILITY OF A PROGRAM. (DAG)