What Counts as Credible Evidence in Applied Research and Evaluation Practice?

Abstract

In search of the blueprint for an evidence-based global society / Stewart I. Donaldson -- Social inquiry paradigms as a frame for the debate on credible evidence / Christina A. Christie and Dreolin Fleischer -- When getting it right matters : the case for high-quality policy and program impact evaluations / Gary T. Henry -- Randomized controlled trials : a gold standard with feet of clay? / Leonard Bickman and Stephanie M. Reich -- What is credible evidence in education? The role of the What Works Clearinghouse in informing the process / Russell Gersten and John Hitchcock -- Evaluation methods for producing actionable evidence : contextual influences on adequacy and appropriateness of method choice / George Julnes and Debra Rog -- Demythologizing causation and evidence / Michael Scriven -- Evidence as "proof" and evidence as "inkling" / Jennifer C. Greene -- Reasoning with rigor and probity : ethical premises for credible evidence / Sharon F. Rallis -- Seeing is believing : the credibility of image-based research and evaluation / Sandra Mathison -- Toward a practical theory of evidence for evaluation / Thomas A. Schwandt -- Credible evidence : changing the terms of the debate / Melvin M. Mark -- Epilogue : A practictioner's guide for gathering credible evidence in the evidenced-based global society / Stewart I. Donaldson.