bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use and Abuse of Citations as Indicators of Research Quality
Authors: Coryn Chris L. S.
Published: April 2023

Citation counts have been widely applied as indicators of performance in the evaluation of research. The supposition underlying such applications is that number of citations can be regarded as a measure of scientific quality or impact (Aksnes, 2005); that is, highly cited research can be considered meritorious or significant, since the extent to which research is used (i.e., cited) is a measure of its contribution to knowledge. This note briefly reviews the background of this approach and then lists the shortcomings of the approach.
Hope for High Impact Aid: Real Challenges, Real Opportunities, and Real Solutions
Authors: Visscher Ronald S.
Published: April 2023

In a 2004 interview with the late Everett Rogers, author of the book Diffusion of Innovation, Rogers lamented that in 1963, he and other members of a prominent research group expected to solve the remaining international development problems and end poverty within ten to fifteen years. (Rogers, 2004) Now, forty-five years hence, it is time for a “reality check.” While it is refreshing to be reminded of a time when it was acceptable to have such high hopes, in hindsight, it appears that these early expectations were terribly naïve. Unfortunately, the multinational effort to alleviate poverty over the last half-century has not succeeded (Goodman, 2006). But does this mean we should give up hope?
JMDE - Five Years in Review
Authors: Richardson Margaret M.
Published: April 2023

2008 marks the fifth year of publication for JMDE. The growth of JMDE, whether measured in terms of readership or in the evolution of ideas, reflects the increasing importance of evaluation, not as a separate process, but more as the development of an evaluative state of mind. Just in terms of readership, at the milestone 5th issue, JMDE had over 1750 “committed readers”—those who requested notification of publication of new issues, the website had over 19,000 hits according to our own measure, but up to 30,000 per day according to independent estimates by Lars Balzar.
Merit Pay, Scientific Production, and the Comisión Nacional Evaluadora de la Acitividad Investigadora del Profesorado Universitario
Authors: Polo Gema , De las Heras Gustavo R.
Published: April 2023

Some authors have given the CNEAI (National Commission for the Evaluation of Research Activity) a notorious role in the promotion of scientific research in Spain when considering the requirements for this institution as one of the essential elements in the increase of the Spanish scientific production in the last few years. We hereby expose that the increase of the scientific production in Spain is not linked either with the evaluation activity of the research fulfilment done by the CNEAI, nor consequently with the merit pay system done specifically in Spain by means of an economic incentive called “sexenios.” On the contrary, we suggest that such increase is related to the growth of both human and material resources devoted to the research activity, a conclusion that may sound obvious at first sight, but it’s necessary to point out for those who (some times in a selfish way) deny it. Moreover, it is shown how the so-called merit pay system presents notorious risks that must be addressed to avoid unwanted effects. All in all, we do consider that a system of economic incentives based on a correct evaluation of the research activity can be effective in improving the quality of scientific production, as well as gradually improve everyone’s way of working.
Handbook of Constructionist Research
Authors: Schwandt Thomas A.
Published: April 2023

A review of the book Handbook of Constructionist Research edited by James A. Holstein and Jaber F. Gubrium, published in 2008 by Guilford Press.
Evaluation Lessons from a Theatre Company
Authors: Walser Tamara M. , Bridges Keith , Mattingly Kate
Published: April 2023

Charter Theatre is a small professional theatre in Washington, DC. Its mission is to develop and produce new plays. This includes seeking out new plays, working with the playwrights to clarify their aesthetic intentions, developing a strong script, and then producing those plays. Like other organizations, Charter Theatre wants to be accountable. Its members believe they are responsible to the audience to do the best work they can do. They saw the need for evaluation early on—a repeatable process to assure the quality of their work. However, they didn’t want a factory that would create the same kind of work over and over. In theatre, variety is part of the point. In developing their process, Charter Theatre’s Artistic Director questioned,” How do you evaluate a play without sucking all the life from it?”
In This Issue
Authors: Coryn Chris L. S.
Published: April 2023

This issue of JMDE begins with associate editor Margaret Richardson’s review of JMDE’s first five years of publication in her paper titled “JMDE—Five Years in Review.” In this paper, Richardson summarizes some of the key themes and content published in JMDE for the past five years and attempts to set the tone for the next five years.
The Evaluation Market in Germany
Authors: Löwenbein Oded
Published: April 2023

The United States has a long tradition in evaluation of political programs. In the 1930s and 1940s, programs were initiated to reduce unemployment and improve social security as part of the “New Deal.” In the late 1960s, somewhat comparable to the U. S. at that time, Germany’s new government started its own “New Deal.” Unemployment was modest but the growth of the economy was declining. The German government wanted to implement programs in order to follow a path of steady growth. Since most of the programs were evalu- ated, a growing market of evaluation could be observed at that time.
Methods in Educational Research: From Theory to Practice
Authors: Spybrook Jessaca K.
Published: April 2023

A review of the book Methods in Educational Research: From Theory to Practice by Maguerite G. Lodico, Dean T. Spaulding, and Katherine H. Voegtle published in 2006 by Jossey-Bass.
Peer Review of Abstracts Submitted to the Graduate Student and New Evaluators Topical Interest Group for the 2006 American Evaluation Association Conference
Authors: Schröter Daniela C. , Coryn Chris L. S. , Montrosse Bianca E.
Published: April 2023

Peer review is an umbrella term that refers to a class of selection and oversight practices, including the familiar mechanisms of the review of proposals submitted for funding, of manuscripts for scholarly publications, and of personnel qualifications and portfolios for selection and promotion. Peer review has long been a cornerstone of modern scientific method premised on the assumption that those within a discipline are best suited to assess the work of others within that field. As such, it is also frequently employed to evaluate proposals submitted for professional meetings such as the annual conference of the American Evaluation Association (AEA). This paper presents a blind peer review method developed by AEA’s Graduate Student & New Evaluators (GS&NE) Topical Interest Group (TIG) in an effort to construct an impartial and reliable process in proposal selection. Implications for conference review processes, AEA, and the field of evaluation in general are discussed.
In This Issue
Authors: Coryn Chris L. S.
Published: April 2023

Overview of the first issue of 2008.
Evaluation Theory, Models, & Applications
Authors: Wiersma William
Published: April 2023

A review of the book Evaluation Theory, Models, & Applications by Daniel L. Stufflebeam & Anthony J Shinkfield, published in 2007 by Jossey-Bass.
Toward a General and Unified View of Educational Research and Evaluation
Authors: Perla Rocco J. , Carifio James
Published: April 2023

This paper addresses an important problem that may really be a pseudoproblem perpetuated by a current artificial or even political need to isolate researchers, evaluators, and theorists and put them in conceptual-methodological boxes. In this paper, we argue that scholars of all kinds should focus on the nouns (i.e., research, evaluation, theory) versus the adjectives (i.e., quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods) used to qualify these nouns and core constructs. In a word, researchers, evaluators, measurement professionals, and theorists of all persuasions should strive to be neither qualitative nor quantitative, as that is like striving to be a single leg in a triangle. Following Hacking (1965), our view is that all forms of research methodology and evaluation methodology represent a “patchwork quilt” that is essentially “one fabric” with two connected but often unacknowledged sides to the quilt and that all methodology, analysis, and evaluations are essentially “qual-quantification” and “quant-qualification” and usually both at the same time. This general and unified or “one fabric” view of these debates and issues is discussed from a historical-philosophical perspective, and the need for a more general and inclusive evaluation and research epistemology is elucidated. Having outlined an epistemic framework and argument for a more comprehensive and complete view and model of evaluation and research that transcends a specific research paradigm, the paper concludes by outlining eight general key points that most (if not all) researchers and evaluators should consider.
Ethical Issues in Agency Evaluation from the Viewpoint of Activity Theory
Authors: Huotari Risto
Published: April 2023

This article focuses on ethical issues faced in evaluation practice from the viewpoint of third generation of activity theory, which gives a constructive perspective on how contradictions can be a driving force behind interorganizational learning and development in multiactor networks. The problem field is firstly addressed through an illustration of the problematic position of evaluators in situations where cooperational relationships and professional networks are close. This perspective is then extended by an analysis of a reflection model designed to initiate discussion about the principles of evaluation. From an activity theoretical perspective, the ethical issues reflect contradictions, which can be a starting point for development, whether the actors can get oriented collectively in the analysis of a contradictory situation, and modelling, implementing and examination of a new solution. The analysed model for ethical reflection can be used, despite its limitations, as a heuristic framework for this kind of collaborative ethical reflection in a multivoiced network of people involved in the evaluation process.
Quality Criteria for Self-Evaluation in Higher Education
Authors: Rebolloso Pacheco Enrique , Fernández-Ramírez Baltasar , Cantón Andrés Pilar
Published: April 2023

The purposes of metaevaluation go beyond the traditional functions of accountability and enhancement. It helps guide strategic organizational change and legitimizes evaluation systems. Metaevaluation results can also be used to create checklists so that the persons responsible for any evaluation can revise, monitor, and control them by themselves. In this paper, the self-evaluation stage of an evaluation process in higher education is metaevaluated. The qualitative method applied analyses to the concerns and complaints that emerged during the work sessions. The results are structured around two key elements: the input (information and self-evaluation guideline) and the throughput (the committee and the process, including the meetings and dynamics of work). The information and self-evaluation guidelines are intended to be responsive, comprehensible, and reliable. The self-evaluation committee and process should be effective, efficient, and responsible with the task. The results are discussed with regard to theoretical proposals for evaluation quality that emphasize criteria such as responsiveness and technical quality of the evaluation.
Metaevaluation as a Means of Examining Evaluation Influence
Authors: Oliver Monica LaBelle
Published: April 2023

Understanding how (or whether) an organization uses its evaluation findings can help that organization and others like it to evaluate more purposefully and effectively. Understanding the broader influence evaluations have on the organization and in its operating environment holds even greater potential. Metaevaluation is an appropriate approach for determining how effectively evaluations have served the purpose of program improvement. They can potentially expose other intended or unintended ways in which the evaluation influenced the organization and its environs. Using Henry and Mark’s (2003) taxonomy of evaluation influence as a platform for classification and analysis, this study metaevaluates one organization’s evaluations with an eye toward how those evaluations influenced it, whether through program improvement or other means. Metaevaluation proves a valuable means of exposing subtle forms of influence in the organization, as well as a way of revealing how it might evaluate in the future with an eye toward having even greater intentional influence.
Metaevaluation in Practice
Authors: Cooksy Leslie J. , Caracelli Valerie J.
Published: April 2023

This paper examines the practice of metaevaluation as indicated by the Metaevaluation standard of the Program Evaluation Standards, as the evaluation of a specific evaluation to inform stakeholders about the evaluation’s strengths and weaknesses. The findings from an analysis of eighteen metaevaluations, including a description of the data sources and methods used to come to conclusions about the evaluation and the criteria of quality employed, are reported. A diverse set of practices were identified, ranging from the use of emergent criteria in a narrative review of information about an evaluation to the structured application of the Program Evaluation Standards using a checklist. The paper concludes that the evaluation field does not have a common understanding of metaevaluation practice.
The Development of Evaluation Culture in Spain
Authors: Arriazu Muñoz Rubén
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a retrospective explanation as to how evaluation culture has been slowly incorporated into politics and public institutions in Spain during the last three decades. Evaluation, quality, and excellence are relevant concepts embedded in the design of current political programs. At this moment in history, it is important to ask, what has been the evaluation history in Spain? Where do influences on research designs come from? I address these questions in order to describe the evaluation process in the public sphere based on the biographical method, specifically on the testimony of five Spanish evaluators with recognized experience in this field. The aim is to set up a historical vision that represents the evolution of evaluation culture in Spain, analyzing and linking the individual perceptions of evaluators with the specific characteristics of a particular social context.
Nonmarket Economic Valuation and "The Economist’s Fallacy"
Authors: Rudd Murray A
Published: April 2023

It is important that noneconomists understand and consider three key points regarding the use of economic cost-benefit analysis. First, economists undertaking applied cost-benefit analyses use expected values by necessity in forward-looking models. Second, economists tally changes in economic value, comparing “with” and “without” investment scenarios, using producer and consumer surplus. Third, marginal changes in the “nonmarket” components of consumer surplus can, and should, be quantified in monetary terms and included in evaluations whenever possible. These three factors highlight the need for multidisciplinary research on complex problems relating public investments to the social, cultural, health, and environmental impacts of those investments.
In This Issue
Authors: Coryn Chris L. S.
Published: April 2023

Welcome to the first issue of the Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation (JMDE) for 2009, which marks our sixth year of publication. Not too bad for an online journal with no financial resources! With this issue, we are delighted to welcome the newest member of our editorial team, Lori Wingate. Lori is the book review section editor for the American Journal of Evaluation and a doctoral candidate in Western Michigan University’s Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation program. She has been a staff member at The Evaluation Center for almost a dozen years and has worked closely with many of the field’s luminaries, including E. Jane Davidson, Arlen Gullickson, James Sanders, Michael Scriven, and Daniel Stufflebeam. Lori’s official role on the JMDE editorial staff is as its copy editor and she was brought on to assist with assuring that papers published in JMDE meet the highest standards of quality. In this role, Lori will work directly with authors whose papers have undergone peer review and been accepted for publication to improve the formatting, style, clarity, and accuracy of their manuscripts. Please join me in welcoming Lori.
Unintended Consequences of using Tests to Improve Learning: How Improvement-Oriented Resources Heighten Conceptions of Assessment as School Accountability
Authors: Brown Gavin T. L. , Harris Lois R.
Published: April 2023

Over the past decade, the New Zealand government has created a set of resources to support teachers’ use of assessment for learning. These include Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning (asTTle), a software program enabling teachers to create personalized but standardized tests for diagnostic purposes, and Assess to Learn (AtoL), an intensive professional development program. These resources were expected to increase teacher agreement that improvement is the major purpose of assessment. Instead, a 2008 sample of teachers completing the Teacher Conceptions of Assessment questionnaire showed significantly higher agreement that assessment is about school accountability than participants in previous national surveys. Unlike previous surveys, the correlation between school accountability and improvement conceptions was not statistically significant. However, as only the improvement conception predicted the practices teachers used to define assessment (β = .32), it appears that these teachers still saw many of the practices they used in the classroom (e.g. oral and interactive assessments) as improvement-oriented. Interviews with twenty-six of the surveyed teachers identified that while a few saw the new resources as contributing to improvement and accountability purposes, a larger group failed to make that connection. This second group seemed to be unable to accept that tests, an assessment genre traditionally associated with school and student accountability, could be meaningfully used for improvement at the classroom level. These data show that schools and individuals mediate the implementation of any policy initiative and can therefore cause it to have a range of often unintended consequences. In light of this, the thinking of teachers and other educational stakeholders should be taken into account when enacting policy changes.
Validating Assessment for Learning: Consequential and Systems Approaches
Authors: Van Haneghan James Patrick
Published: April 2023

In order to adequately evaluate assessment for learning, expanded approaches to validity need to be considered. The purpose of this manuscript is to explore what is necessary to evaluate claims that assessment facilitates learning. Messick’s (1994) concept of consequential validity provides one lens for determining the learning consequences of assessment. His approach suggests that learning consequences are a special case of the general concept of consequential validity and should be evaluated from that perspective. The systems approach developed by Frederiksen and Collins (1989) provides another perspective of how assessments can be designed with learning consequences in mind. Their model provides a transparent way to link assessments to learning by making teaching to the test a valid activity. The adequacy of both models for evaluating claims of learning from assessment is explored. Based on the analysis, a model for evaluating the validity of evidence for assessment for learning is outlined.
Current Developments in Assessment for Learning in Universities and High Schools in Michigan: Problems and Perspectives in Mathematics and Science Education
Authors: Ziebarth Steven W. , Fynewever Herb , Akom George , Cummings Katharine E. , Bentz Amy , Engelman Jonathan A. , Ludwig Matthew , Noakes Lindsay A. , Rusiecki Emily
Published: April 2023

Assessment for Learning (AfL) or formative assessment has the potential for raising standards and student achievement. This article describes research conducted by graduate students in an NSF-funded capacity-building project with goals to increase research in the disciplines of science and mathematics education. As background, a literature review shows parallels between assessment for learning research developed over the past two decades in England with assessment reform efforts in school mathematics and science in the U.S. A series of five research projects, conducted by Western Michigan University (WMU) AfL project scholars in fall 2008, examines (1) the prominence of assessment for learning in university course syllabi at WMU and (2) at public universities across the state of Michigan, (3) its prominence in policy statements in a sample of Michigan high schools, (4) the development of benchmarking practices with preservice teachers, and (5) a comparison of existing AfL observation protocols used in classroom research. These reports represent the range of potentially important areas that may prove fruitful for moving research on assessment in mathematics and science education forward.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0733590.
Curriculum Evaluation in Greece
Authors: Krikas Vangelis
Published: April 2023

The role of curriculum in the official educational process is widely recognized by the international scientific community. Beginning in the 19th century, and perhaps even earlier, curriculum research began, not only to be systematized, but to also constitute an autonomous field of study. On the other hand, curriculum evaluation has captured the attention of experts involved in the science of education over the last few years. This article will present the results arising from research with respects to curriculum evaluation in Greece along with a micro-model proposed for the evaluation of the Cross-Thematic Unified Curriculum Framework and the corresponding Individual Subject Curricula that are applied today in compulsory Greek education.
The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation: Reflections on Its Development and First Seven Years
Authors: Coryn Chris L. S. , Stufflebeam Daniel L. , Davidson E. Jane , Scriven Michael
Published: April 2023

Background: The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation (IDPE) program at Western Michigan University (WMU) was designed and developed to address the increasing need and demand for highly trained and skilled evaluators. After only six and a half years, the program’s graduates are serving in important evaluation leadership positions throughout the world.
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide readers with a historical overview and up-to-date description of the IDPE and is intended for those who are interested in evaluation curriculum and advances in the profession.
Setting: Not applicable.
Intervention: Not applicable.
Research Design: Not applicable.
Data Collection and Analysis: In this article each of the program’s current and previous leaders reflect on their role in the IDPE.
Findings: The concept, design, and operations of this program should be of interest both to evaluation scholars and to those who administer graduate education programs in evaluation.
The 2009 Claremont Debates-Appendix A: David Fetterman's PowerPoint Slides
Authors: Fetterman David M.
Published: April 2023

Dr. David Fetterman's slide deck from the 2009 Claremont Evaluation Debates.
Being Blind in a World of Multiple Perspectives: The Evaluator’s Dilemma Between the Hope of Becoming a Team Player and the Fear of Becoming a Critical Friend with No Friends
Authors: Tarsilla Michele
Published: April 2023

Background: A large number of evaluation theorists have debated the issue of objectivity and bias in evaluation over the last five decades. In particular, the degree to which distance from the evaluand enhances the validity and reliability of evaluation findings has been a prominent topic of discussion.
Purpose: This article has two primary objectives. First, it intends to present some of the positivist and post-positivist theories on distance that have dominated the evaluation discourse since the late 1960’s, by also showing the limitations of their respective assumptions. Second, it describes a more recent evaluation theory on distance that is proving to help evaluators rapport with their evaluand more effectively, especially in the case of complex programs involving a large variety of stakeholders.
Setting: Not applicable.
Subjects: Not applicable.
Research Design: Not applicable.
Data Collection and Analysis: The paper is the result of both a desk review and a series of interviews with some major evaluation theorists aimed to compare and contrast some of the most relevant ideas on distance in evaluation expressed over the last five decades.
Findings: The author shows that evaluators today are still facing the dilemma of whether they should seek proximity to or distance from the evaluand. However, the author identifies an increasingly popular evaluation approach (herewith referred as the pluralist approach as opposed to the niche approach) that promises to overcome the issue of distance in evaluation more successfully than any other earlier theory. The author dismisses the idea of absolute distance, predicated by both Scriven and Campbell. In doing so, he also shows that evaluators who are closer to the evaluand and the context contiguous to it tend to have a deeper understanding of the issues at stake and therefore enhance the overall quality of their evaluation. In addition, the author acknowledges that evaluators today have a new important role to play vis-à-vis their evaluand: mediating stakeholders’ competing values and agendas for the sake of equity and social justice.
Conclusions: The author concludes that the proximity to the evaluand and the integration of multiple perspectives in an evaluation represent two of evaluation’s most enriching—rather than detrimental—factors. The author also asserts that a truly participatory approach can effectively coexist with advocacy, so long as evaluators are able to clarify their stances vis-à-vis the social, economic, and political issues associated with their evaluand.
What Counts as Credible Evidence in Applied Research and Evaluation Practice?
Authors: Burkhardt Jason T. , Fields Jan K.
Published: April 2023

A review of the book What Counts as Credible Evidence in Applied Research and Evaluation Practice? by Stewart I. Donaldson, Christina A. Christie, & Melvin M. Mark, published in 2008 by Sage.
What Do All These Numbers Mean? Data Visualization as an Innovative Methodology to Make Program Decisions
Authors: Porter Susan G. , Koch Stephen P. , Henderson Andrew
Published: April 2023

Background: There is a lack of consistent, comprehensible data collection and analysis methods for evaluating teacher preparation program’s coverage of required standards for accreditation. Of particular concern is the adequate coverage of standards and competencies that address the teaching of English learners and teachers of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Purpose: To graphically convey the findings of a faculty survey regarding English learner and multicultural content in teacher preparation coursework in order to inform them of inadequate coverage (and saturation) of those particular teaching standards and competencies.
Setting: A small teacher preparation program in a Northern California public university that prepares elementary school teachers and special education teachers.
Intervention: 10 full and part-time faculty members in a teacher preparation program that prepares elementary and special education teachers.

Research Design: Congruency study, in which raw data from faculty survey responses were compared with rated program responses to teacher preparation standards by means of a relational database with graphing output capabilities.
Data Collection: A survey instrument was designedandadministeredtoallfacultymembers in the program.
Findings: The resulting radar maps and other graphic outputs allowed faculty to clearly see where their course content aligned with the program accreditation response and where more coverage of that particular competency was necessary.
Conclusions: The use of relational databases was a highly effective method for helping one teacher preparation program to visualize their progress towards meeting standards for teacher preparation in the area of student diversity and the teaching of English learners.
“Process Values” and “Deep Values” in Evaluation
Authors: Davidson E. Jane
Published: April 2023

Background: Many evaluation theorists and practitioners have advocated the application of cultural values to the evaluation process to ensure cultural appropriateness and responsiveness.
Purpose: This article draws a distinction between these “process values” and “deep values” in evaluation, using the specific example of cultural values to illustrate. The application of “deep values” refers to the deliberate and systematic inclusion of [in this case, cultural] values in the very definitions of “quality” and “value” used in an evaluation, and in the evaluative interpretation of evidence.
Setting: Not applicable.
Subjects: Not applicable.
Research Design: Not applicable.
Data Collection and Analysis: Not applicable.
Findings: Not applicable.
Conclusions: Including “deep cultural values” in the “merit determination” or “valuing” step in evaluation is partly about ensuring the right voices are at the sense-making table, but it’s also about having practical evaluation-specific methodologies for systematically and transparently building in those cultural values.
A Comment on Lempert's "Why Government and Non-Governmental Policies and Projects Fail Despite ‘Evaluations’"
Authors: Eggers Hellmut
Published: April 2023

This piece includes general and specific comments on
Viewpoint on Ethical Reflection in Evaluation Practice in Multiactor Networks
Authors: Huotari Risto
Published: April 2023

Background: In the evaluation process, it is not only the organising of different views and action plans so as to reach the mutual understanding that advances evaluation utilization through argumentation. It is above all complicated to compose a framework that can ensure clear guidelines for ethical evaluation practice in specific contextual situations and in complex operational environment with conflicting role expectations.
Purpose: The aim of this article is to suggest guidelines for ethical reflection in evaluation practice in multiactor networks. For this purpose, we study the normative features of the use of language, illustrate the complexity of ethical decision-making, and discuss the importance of professional virtues in ethical reflection.
Setting: Not applicable.
Subjects: Not applicable.
Research Design: Not applicable.
Data Collection and Analysis: Desk review.
Findings: The results indicate that from speech acts it may be impossible either to logically derive moral duties or obligations to act, or to present idealising suppositions of such rules for dialogical situations as would ensure the production of universal norms for participants in a conversation. However, the argumentation process is fruitful expressly when the participants can set mutual understanding as a goal and commit to aspire to that goal—although it will be impossible to reach it perfectly in practice. The use of neither extensive principles nor reflection on several theories can ensure a clear view of the situation.

Conclusions: The ethics of evaluation is mostly concerned with balancing the conflicting principles and values. Therefore in ethical reflection, the focus should be on commitment to a certain reflective professional way of life in which the identification and acquirement of professional virtues have an important role.
Comments on the 2009 Claremont Debates on “The Promise and Pitfalls of Utilization-Focused and Empowerment Evaluation” Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation Vol. 6, No. 13 (2010)
Authors: Eggers Hellmut W.
Published: April 2023

This piece includes general and specific comments on "The Promise and Pitfalls of Utilization-Focused and Empowerment Evaluation."
Assessing the Impact of Planned Social Change*
Authors: Campbell Donald T.
Published: April 2023

Originally published as Paper #8, Occasional Paper Series, December, 1976*Reprinted with permission of The Public Affairs Center, Dartmouth College.Preparation of this paper has been supported in part by grants from the Russell Sage Foundation and the National Science Foundation, Grant Number SOC-7103704-03. A version of this paper was presented to the Visegrad, Hungary, Conference on Social Psychology, May 5-10, 1974.
Evaluation Independence in Organizations
Authors: Picciotto Robert
Published: April 2023

Background: Evaluation independence is a neglected issue in the literature. Yet, it is a critical aspect of evaluation governance in organizations.   Purpose: The article draws on organizational theory, institutional economics and international development evaluation practice to define evaluation independence in organizations, outline principles geared to the design of evaluation processes within organizations and trigger a debate on evaluation independence in the evaluation community.   Intervention: Not applicable.   Research Design: Literature review informed by personal exposure to management of the World Bank Independent Evaluation Group.   Data Collection and Analysis: Not applicable.   Findings: Independent and self-evaluation are complementary and synergistic. Organizational theory demonstrates that a judicious combination of independent and self-evaluation contributes to managerial accountability and double loop learning.   Keywords: independence; accountability; internal evaluation; external evaluation; double loop learning
Rubrics: A Method for Surfacing Values and Improving the Credibility of Evaluation
Authors: King Julian , McKegg Kate , Oakden Judy , Wehipeihana Nan
Published: April 2023

Background: The challenges of valuing in evaluation have been the subject of much debate; on what basis do we make judgments about performance, quality, and effectiveness? And according to whom? (Julnes, 2012b). There are many ways identified in the literature for carrying out assisted valuation (Julnes, 2012c). One way of assisting the valuation process is the use of evaluative rubrics. This practice-based article unpacks the learnings of a group of evaluators who have used evaluative rubrics to grapple with this challenge. Compared to their previous practice, evaluative rubrics have allowed them to surface and deal with values in a more transparent way. In their experience when evaluators and evaluation stakeholders get clearer about values, evaluative judgments become more credible and warrantable. Purpose: Share practical lessons learned from working with rubrics. Setting: Aotearoa (New Zealand). Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: Not applicable. Data Collection and Analysis: Not applicable. Findings: They have found that while evaluative rubrics look beguilingly simple they are hard to do well. However, when done well, evaluative rubrics can substantially increase the use and credibility of evaluation.Keywords: Rubrics; values; valuation; stakeholder; validity; credibility; utility
Die Produkthaftung für künstlich intelligente Medizinprodukte
Authors: Haftenberger Anna
Published: April 2023

The use of AI in medicine is revolutionizing healthcare, but also raises new liability issues. The author examines whether European product liability law is applicable to AI-based medical devices and can provide an appropriate balance of risks between manufacturers and users. For this purpose, all liability requirements are analyzed and a standard for defectiveness assessment of AI-based medical devices is defined, which takes into account both the characteristics of AI and the specifics of medical devices. In a postscript, the drafts of the new Product Liability Directive and the AI Liability Directive published by the European Commission at the end of 2022 are discussed.
Emotional Intelligence of Korean Students and Its Recent Research Trends
Authors: Jun Soo-Koung , Hee Ryue Sook
Published: April 2023

In Korea, emotional intelligence is based on the concept and components proposed by John Mayer and Peter Salovey, and the model proposed by Professor Moon Yong-Rin is the most widely used. Moon Young-Rin defined the concept of emotional intelligence as the ability of mental process to evaluate and express one’s own emotions of others, to regulate emotions, and to use emotions in a socially adaptive way. 4 domain 16 factor model is the most widely used in Korea: Recognition and expression of emotions; Emotional thinking promotion; Use of emotional knowledge; and Reflective regulation of emotions. Emotional intelligence is reported to be deeply related to creative disposition and positively correlated with academic achievement. For healthy student education, the measurement, education, and training of emotional intelligence should be studied and improved continually in Korean society. Future researches to find out Koreans’ unique emotions and structure are hoped to continued.
Advancing the Nursing Profession through Innovation
Authors: F. Kelley Tiffany
Published: April 2023

To innovate is to bring forward positive change for a population of people who are affected by a pervasive unmet need. In nursing and healthcare, new innovations must address how to advance quality outcomes. These advancements can be through one or more of the six domains of quality (e.g., safe, efficient, effective, equitable, timely, and patient-centered). Nursing history is rich with innovation efforts to advance the profession. Nursing has recently experienced a new resurgence of focus on innovation through academics, practice, research, and scholarship. Nursing must continue to evolve and meet the contemporary needs of our peers and the people which we serve. Embracing the power of innovation as a profession can help us address the many pervasive unmet nursing and healthcare needs across the globe. This chapter will aim to: Define innovation, nursing, and healthcare innovation 1. Describe aspects of nursing innovation throughout history 2. Describe the role of quality as an outcome measure for innovation efforts 3. Examine how innovation can be a focal point in academics, practice, research, scholarship, and policy 4. Critique the risk of not embracing innovation in nursing and healthcare for the future.
Emphysematous Urinary Tract Infections
Authors: Aguirre Avalos Guadalupe
Published: April 2023

Emphysematous urinary tract infections are severe necrotizing infections of the urinary tract. The descriptive term emphysematous is used for the gas location site: pyelonephritis, pyelitis, and cystitis. Most cases occur in adult females. Diabetes mellitus constitutes the most commonly associated comorbidity and a risk factor for necrotizing infections. Pathogenesis still needs to be fully understood. Escherichia coli is the most common microorganism, followed by Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bacteremia occurs in more than half of cases. The treatment includes resuscitation, glycemic control, and antimicrobial therapy, followed by early drainage. Emphysematous cystitis is the most common and frequently least morbid gas-forming urinary tract infection. Using minimally invasive image-guided procedures for drainage of gas and abscess is a conservative strategy with renal preservation, while emergency nephrectomy is considered the last option. Mortality rates have a direct correlation between the computed tomography findings and the modalities of treatment.
IoT on an ESP32: Optimization Methods Regarding Battery Life and Write Speed to an SD-Card
Authors: M. Broell Lukas , Hanshans Christian , Kimmerle Dominik
Published: April 2023

The ESP32 is a popular microcontroller for IoT use cases. For many IoT applications (e.g., environmental sensors or wearables), a continuous power supply is either not possible or too cumbersome, requiring battery operation. However, the ESP32 has a relatively high power consumption. This chapter focuses on battery life optimization methods for this family of microcontrollers. For scenarios where data logging is relevant, methods for increasing communication speed in relation to power consumption are examined in detail. Measurements of seven different commercially available development boards were evaluated in terms of sleep modes, reduced CPU frequencies, and serial communications with the goal of better power efficiency. Therefore, the common scenario of data logging was compared with the performance and power consumption when communicating with different SD cards and CPU frequencies via the SPI and SD bus. Our test results showed that peripheral components (such as voltage regulators) have a large impact on the power consumption of the ESP32 microcontrollers, especially in sleep mode. For data logging, higher clock rates combined with high-quality SD cards and using the SD bus in 4-bit mode resulted in the lowest battery discharge.
Effect of Cooled Topical Anesthetic Gel on Pain Perception During Administration of Local Anesthesia: A Clinical Trial
Authors:   BDS, Luxmi Bai Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Patiala, Punjab, India, Singh Nat Karambir , Khanal Dikshya ,   BDS, Nepal Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal., Waraich Gagandeep Singh ,   BDS, National Dental College and Hospital, Derabassi, Punjab, India.
Published: April 2023

Background: It is crucial to manage pain during both invasive and noninvasive dental procedures because discomfort may cause patients to refuse care or put off getting it altogether. As a result, it is imperative to develop techniques that lessen pain during injections in order to keep patients from skipping dental appointments. Pain is associated with both invasive and noninvasive dental operations, although it is more commonly associated with tooth extractions, surgeries, and other invasive procedures. The use of local anaesthetics is used to prevent and manage pain, and they are thought to be the safest and most effective medications available for these purposes. Aim: To evaluate the effect of cooled topical anesthetic gel on pain perception of pediatric dental patients during the administration of local anesthesia. Material and Method: In present split mouth clinical trail, 30 children between the ages of 6 and 10 year were enrolled. Uncooled topical anaesthetic was applied in one treatment session and cooled topical anaesthesia gel in the other session prior to the administration of local anesthesia. Lignocaine 2% gel was cooled and maintained at 40 C. A small sized topical anaesthetic gel was applied on tissue using a cotton pellet for 1 minute. Similarly in next treatment session uncooled anesthetic gel was applied on injection site. The procedure was followed by infiltration injection of 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 adrenaline (LOX* 2% ADRENALINE) using a short 27-gauge needle (Dispovan). Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the participants’ self-reports of injection pain. Children were asked to make a mark on the line that represented their level of perceived pain intensity, and the score was recorded after the treatment. Analysis of the data was carried out using SPSS version 20.0. In all the statistical tests used in this study the significant level was pre -set at P ≤ 0.05. Result: The mean visual analog score for uncooled anesthetic gel group were 63.12 ± 4.63 and statistically significant lower score in cooled anesthetic gel group 38.23 ± 5.53 group (p< 0.001) Conclusion: The results of the present study showed application of cooled topical anesthetic gel on injection site prior to the injection of local anesthetic agent did significantly reduce the pain perceived during administration of local anesthesia for routine dental procedures.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Intra-articular Platelet Rich Plasma Injections for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review
Authors:   Senior Cycle 2, School of Medicine, RCSI-MUB, Bahrain, Joanna Thomas , Devpal Patil Jayaditya ,   Foundation Year 1, University Hospital of Leicester, NHS Trust, UK, Wessam Al Dallal ,   Senior Cycle 2, School of Medicine, RCSI-MUB, Bahrain, Anastasia Athanasiou ,   Orthopedic Surgeon, Head of Orthopedics, Al Malaki Specialist Hospital, Bahrain
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequently presented joint disorder, and its treatment is often challenging. Current literature has controversial results regarding the efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma therapy (PRP) when compared to placebo injections. This systematic review investigates the role of intra-articular PRP injections as a recommended treatment option for knee OA with the potential to establish appropriate guidelines for treating physicians. Method: This review used PUBMED, Cochrane and CINHAL database. A thorough review of literature examining PRP injections as treatment options for knee OA was performed. Two independent reviewers evaluated the studies against inclusion and exclusion criterias. The WOMAC stiffness score, VAS Score, and KOOS score were used to assess efficacy of PRP treatment. Twelve articles met the criteria for inclusion and were analysed in this study. Results: PRP injections caused a significantly better improvement in WOMAC stiffness score (25.5%), VAS Score (31.7%), and KOOS score (6.2%) after six months of treatment. Conclusion: This review demonstrated significant improvement in pain relief and stiffness levels in patients with knee OA receiving intra-articular PPR when compared to placebo. Further research is required to establish the optimum dose and duration of treatment with PRP injections for knee OA.
Gambaran Smartphone Addiction pada Remaja di Tangerang Selatan
Authors: Yulianto Aries , Jayanti Irnawati , Rahman Namira , Bahagianti Sajidah Amallia Hanna
Published: April 2023

Lebih dari 50% pengguna smartphone di Indonesia merupakan remaja. Dari data yang ditemukan, pengguna ponsel di Tangerang Selatan mengalami peningkatan sebanyak 3,3%, dari tahun sebelumnya. Salah satu faktor yang menyebabkan peningkatan tersebut adalah karena penggunaan smartphone pada remaja di Tangerang Selatan yang bertujuan untuk mencari informasi ataupun menghibur diri di kala stres. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran smartphone addiction pada remaja di Tangerang Selatan. Peneliti melakukan penelitian terhadap 100 remaja (50 laki-laki dan 50 perempuan) yang tinggal di Tangerang Selatan dengan descriptive research strategy melalui survey research design. Perilaku smartphone addiction diukur menggunakan Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) yang terdiri dari 33 pertanyaan dengan 6 dimensi, masing-masingnya menggambarkan hubungan dan keterikatan mereka dengan smartphone. Hasil yang menunjukkan bahwa perilaku smartphone addiction pada remaja di Tangerang Selatan cenderung sedang. Selain itu, ditemukan tidak ada perbedaan smartphone addiction antara remaja laki-laki dan perempuan.