EVALUATION CRITIQUE
(50 pts)
Directions: Identify a scholarly article based upon an evaluation science study and compose a
three (3) page critique of the evaluation study in APA 7th ed. format (TNR font, 1” margins,
double-spaced, title and reference page). Cite the article or report in APA 7th ed. format.
Critiques should address the following:
1. Introduction (10 pts)
● What was the program?
● What was the purpose of the evaluation?
● Who conducted the evaluation? What was their connection to the program? What
implications does this have for the evaluation and interpretation of findings?
● Provide a one to two sentence summary of your overall assessment of the evaluation (that
you will substantiate in the following paragraphs).
2. Descriiption of Evaluation (15 pts)
● What evaluation approach(es) were used? (i.e. objectives-oriented, goal-free, theory-based,
responsive, utilization-focused, principles-focused, participatory, empowerment,
embedded, etc.; see Chapter 4 in Giancola text for an overview of each approach and note
that the evaluation approach is not always explicitly described)
● What evaluation research design and methods were used?
● Where operational definitions were used?
● What type of sample was used?
● How were the data collected?
● How were the data analyzed?
● To what extent did the authors address threats to validity and reliability? How did they
establish validity and reliability of measurements or ensure the dependability and
confirmability of research accounts?
● What were the results? What conclusions did the author(s) draw from the evaluation?
● Were there any limitations?
● What implications were drawn from the results/outcomes?
3. Assessment of Evaluation (20 pts)
● To what extent do you believe the evaluation approach and evaluation design were an
appropriate fit for the evaluation?
● To what extent do you believe the evaluation design supports the conclusions that were
drawn from the evaluation?
● To what extent do you believe these conclusions are warranted?
● What are the strengths and weaknesses of the evaluation? Do you believe the research
was conducted responsibly and ethically? Why or why not?
4. Conclusions (5 pts)
● Provide a short recap of your overall assessment of the evaluation (summarizing what
you have presented in the preceding paragraphs)
● What suggestions do you have for future evaluations of this program
