Evaluation Data Collection
Data collection for evaluation only comes after a series of important questions have been resolved in the planning and design phases. Typically, data collection comes in the form of interviews, focus groups, surveys, document review, or direct observation. Each of the questions and structure must be designed with evaluation questions and objectives in mind.
Document Review
What is it? Document review is a systematic review of collecting data by reviewing existing internal or external (electronic or hard copy) documents. Examples of such documents may be things like implementation logs (identifying how many participants took part in an activity), funding proposals (identifying what was stated to be done in an activity), performance ratings (identifying participants’ assessment of activities), and so on.
Document review allows you to gather background information, assess whether implementation reflects program intentions, develop other evaluation tools, and answer evaluation questions. We can help you systematically capture and evaluate data through document review to answer your evaluation questions.
How can we help you?
- Identify what kinds of data you may have from documents on hand
- Determine the systematic approach for reviewing your documents
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Read MoreFAQ About Document Review
Document review can provide important background information for an evaluation, and it can bring to light considerations or issues around a project that may not be possible through other means of data collection. Document review is also typically unobtrusive since it does not require collecting data from participants, and it can be relatively inexpensive.
Data from document review can be inaccurate, incomplete, biased, disorganized, or irrelevant, therefore, it can also be time consuming to compile, organize, and analyze a large volume of documents.
No, not all surveys need to be written in Likert format. The advantage, however, is being able to quantify change. If you are assessing outcome change, Likert scale options are a great way to be able to show a demonstrated change, if any, between two time periods.
Survey length is dependent on the purpose and, ultimately, the audience. Ideally, surveys should take no longer than 15 minutes for respondents to complete.
The number of questions depends on an evaluation’s purpose and goals, and the type of questions being asked. It is important that before you launch a survey, you test it with a sample to ensure it is understandable and reasonable in length. Ideally, surveys should take no longer than 15 minutes for respondents to complete.
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Peggy Ostrander, DNPc, APRN, FNP-C Plano, Texas