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Evaluation thesaurus (2nd ed.)
200
BOOK REVIEWS
sidered evaluation. I do not think we should present evaluation as something that can be done with every program or that can be done by everyone. If you are looking for a book that you can recommend to practitioners or students to describe the variety of issues in evaluation, then Posavac and Carey’s volume is probably a good choice. If you are looking, however, for a book that research oriented students can use, then this is probably not the correct choice. Only if you are prepared to provide a lot of other material and perhaps, to have a running debate with Posavac and Carey about the function and purposes of evaluation, would it be appropriate. Many instructors are prepared to provide such guidance and I suspect that Posavac and Carey will be widely used.
CAPSULE Evaluation
Thesaurus
(2nd ed.), by Michael
References COOK, T. D., & CAMPBELL, D. T. The design and conduct of quasi-experiments and true experiments in field settings. In M. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizationalpsychology. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1976. COOK,
OFFICE
D. T. Quasi-experimentation: Design settings. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1979.
T. D., &CAMPBELL,
& analysis issues forfield
OF TECHNOLOGY
The implications of technology. Washington, (Stock Number
ASSESSMENT,
cost-effectiveness
D.C.: Government 052-003-00765-7).
U.S. CONGRESS.
analysis Printing
of Office,
medical 1980.
WEISS, C. J. Using social research in public policy making. Lexington, Mass.: D. C. Heath, 1977. WHOLEY, J. et al. Federal evaluation policy. Washington, Urban Institute. 1970.
D.C.:
BOOK REVIEWS
Striven.
Pt. Reyes, California: Edgepress, 1980, 149pp., $6.95 (mft-
cover). Webster’s Dictionary defines a thesaurus as “a book of words or of information about a particular field or set of concepts: A dictionary of synonyms.” However, a more accurate description of Michael Striven’s work is found in Dutch’s preface to the Revised 1962 Edition of Roget’s Thesaurus: “(A thesaurus’) business is with contexts, not with definitions. It discourses rather than analyzes.” &riven carries out two functions in this small book. First, he provides basic definitions in straightforward language of a wide variety of evaluation terms. For example: “MBO: Management by Objectives, i.e., state what you’re trying to do in language that will make it possible to tell whether you succeeded” (p. 81). Second, he offers his view of the evaluation concept; the above definition of MB0 is followed by: “Not bad as a guide to planning (though it tends to overrigidify the institution), but disastrous as a model for evaluation (though acceptable as one element in an evaluation design)” (P. 81). Striven readily admits that his Thesaurusis not an encyclopedia of evaluation, of which there are now several, but is instead judgmental, suggestive and critical, as well as educational. Evaluation students or practitioners will profit from the book most if they have some basic knowledge of and experience in evaluation; to Evaluating
Hospital
Based Ambulatory
them the book can be a stimulus for thought, an educational tool, and a warning against complacency in evaluation practice. The content of the book is not easily defined. Criteria for inclusion of terms included (a) requests by Striven’s students, (b) possibility of a short report, (c) utility, or (d) “the author thought it should be included for the edification or amusement of professionals and/or amateurs” (p. iii). Slang or jargon terms are included, as are many terms relevant to the federal/state contractual process because of its importance to evaluation funding. Terms from basic statistics and measurement are largely left out, because Striven feels they are better covered elsewhere. The terms included can roughly be categorized into three overlapping groups: (1) terms allowing Striven free rein to express his views (e.g., “big” (consultant) shops, consultant, evaluation ethics and etiquette, perfectionism, sole source); (2) terms descriptive of technical aspects of evaluation (e.g., construct validity, hypothesis testing, calibration, power, stratification); and (3) terms descriptive of the context of evaluation (e.g., cost plus, evaluation training, point of entry, report writing/giving).
E. W. F.
Care, by W. C. Stratmann
Books, D. C. Heath and Co., 1980, I77pp.,
and R. Ullman.
Lexington, Mass.: Lexington
$24.95 (hardcover).
In 1971, the Neighborhood Health Centers of Monroe County, Inc. (NHC), in Rochester, New York, received
a grant from the Office of Economic Opportunity to create three new community health centers. This book
BOOK REVIEWS
sidered evaluation. I do not think we should present evaluation as something that can be done with every program or that can be done by everyone. If you are looking for a book that you can recommend to practitioners or students to describe the variety of issues in evaluation, then Posavac and Carey’s volume is probably a good choice. If you are looking, however, for a book that research oriented students can use, then this is probably not the correct choice. Only if you are prepared to provide a lot of other material and perhaps, to have a running debate with Posavac and Carey about the function and purposes of evaluation, would it be appropriate. Many instructors are prepared to provide such guidance and I suspect that Posavac and Carey will be widely used.
CAPSULE Evaluation
Thesaurus
(2nd ed.), by Michael
References COOK, T. D., & CAMPBELL, D. T. The design and conduct of quasi-experiments and true experiments in field settings. In M. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizationalpsychology. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1976. COOK,
OFFICE
D. T. Quasi-experimentation: Design settings. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1979.
T. D., &CAMPBELL,
& analysis issues forfield
OF TECHNOLOGY
The implications of technology. Washington, (Stock Number
ASSESSMENT,
cost-effectiveness
D.C.: Government 052-003-00765-7).
U.S. CONGRESS.
analysis Printing
of Office,
medical 1980.
WEISS, C. J. Using social research in public policy making. Lexington, Mass.: D. C. Heath, 1977. WHOLEY, J. et al. Federal evaluation policy. Washington, Urban Institute. 1970.
D.C.:
BOOK REVIEWS
Striven.
Pt. Reyes, California: Edgepress, 1980, 149pp., $6.95 (mft-
cover). Webster’s Dictionary defines a thesaurus as “a book of words or of information about a particular field or set of concepts: A dictionary of synonyms.” However, a more accurate description of Michael Striven’s work is found in Dutch’s preface to the Revised 1962 Edition of Roget’s Thesaurus: “(A thesaurus’) business is with contexts, not with definitions. It discourses rather than analyzes.” &riven carries out two functions in this small book. First, he provides basic definitions in straightforward language of a wide variety of evaluation terms. For example: “MBO: Management by Objectives, i.e., state what you’re trying to do in language that will make it possible to tell whether you succeeded” (p. 81). Second, he offers his view of the evaluation concept; the above definition of MB0 is followed by: “Not bad as a guide to planning (though it tends to overrigidify the institution), but disastrous as a model for evaluation (though acceptable as one element in an evaluation design)” (P. 81). Striven readily admits that his Thesaurusis not an encyclopedia of evaluation, of which there are now several, but is instead judgmental, suggestive and critical, as well as educational. Evaluation students or practitioners will profit from the book most if they have some basic knowledge of and experience in evaluation; to Evaluating
Hospital
Based Ambulatory
them the book can be a stimulus for thought, an educational tool, and a warning against complacency in evaluation practice. The content of the book is not easily defined. Criteria for inclusion of terms included (a) requests by Striven’s students, (b) possibility of a short report, (c) utility, or (d) “the author thought it should be included for the edification or amusement of professionals and/or amateurs” (p. iii). Slang or jargon terms are included, as are many terms relevant to the federal/state contractual process because of its importance to evaluation funding. Terms from basic statistics and measurement are largely left out, because Striven feels they are better covered elsewhere. The terms included can roughly be categorized into three overlapping groups: (1) terms allowing Striven free rein to express his views (e.g., “big” (consultant) shops, consultant, evaluation ethics and etiquette, perfectionism, sole source); (2) terms descriptive of technical aspects of evaluation (e.g., construct validity, hypothesis testing, calibration, power, stratification); and (3) terms descriptive of the context of evaluation (e.g., cost plus, evaluation training, point of entry, report writing/giving).
E. W. F.
Care, by W. C. Stratmann
Books, D. C. Heath and Co., 1980, I77pp.,
and R. Ullman.
Lexington, Mass.: Lexington
$24.95 (hardcover).
In 1971, the Neighborhood Health Centers of Monroe County, Inc. (NHC), in Rochester, New York, received
a grant from the Office of Economic Opportunity to create three new community health centers. This book