Evaluation Thesaurus

"Any evaluator who reaches for this thesaurus as I would reach for Roget's will be rewarded with rather more than a lesson on the definition of terms. Far from being a quick fix, Michael Scriven reminds us that a thesaurus is "a treasury or storehouse of knowledge"--in this case a knowledge base that he argues is needed to underpin a new, emerging, "transdiscipline" of evaluation."

--International Journal of Nursing Studies

"This new edition is almost three times as large as the third edition and now serves as a comprehensive survey of the field. It fits neatly in the literature between glossaries and encyclopedias for those who find the latter too exhaustive and the former too brief to meet their needs. Evaluation Thesaurus, 4th Edition, begins with an extensive introduction to the nature of evaluation followed by an alphabetical listing of topics treated. . . . Definitions are presented in informal language and the use of the jargon of educational evaluation does much to demystify the concepts treated. . . . The book can be used either as a text to help orient beginners in the field or as a reference guide that will be useful for the more experienced practitioner. It will make a fine addition to any library offering courses in educational administration at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level."

--American Library Association

"If you are to have one book related to evaluation research, this is the one it should be. . . . For readers unfamiliar with Dr. Michael Scriven, you are in for a treat! For those of us who are familiar with his work, we are able to journey again with a scholar whose analytical abilities and writing style provide an opportunity for intense thought. . . . He is careful to provide a comprehensive list of acronyms and abbreviations to help the reader fully digest this massive amount of information. The work is comprehensive while being presented in an efficient and effective format. . . . This book is replete with information that will contribute to improved knowledge of evaluation for both those professionals actively involved in such research as well as those new to these practices."

--Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling

"A well-established treasure, now more than double in size, useful for students and practitioners alike. Not only are useful, concise definitions for technical acronyms and words provided, but also substantial essays on terms Michael Scriven has invented to make important points. In spite of the alphabetical ordering, it would be useful as the first text in a program evaluation course. The Scrivenesque bias would be all too good."

--Donald T. Campbell, Lehigh University

"There are many interesting ideas in there, e.g., the scope of evaluation, product, program, personnel, policy, proposal, the idea of evaluation theory across all these fields, the distinctions among theory metatheory, methodology and application, what different fields have contributed to the development of evaluation, the types of disciplines, connections among disciplines, etc., etc, --the book is a treasure house of productive, innovative ideas."

--Ernest R. House, University of Colorado at Boulder "The Evaluation Thesaurus, Fourth Edition, is highly recommended for any library, student, or professional interested in evaluation."

--American Reference Book Annual

Written by one of the leaders in evaluation, Evaluation Thesaurus, Fourth Edition provides readers with a quick analysis of the leading concepts, positions, acronyms, processes, techniques, and checklists in the field of evaluation. Containing nearly 2000 entries, Michael Scriven's thesaurus offers professionals and students a guide for understanding the relation of evaluation to the doctrine of value-free social science, ways to integrate the parts of multi-dimensional evaluations into an overall rating, the realities of evaluation consulting, and techniques for the use of spreadsheets in qualitative evaluation. Topics new to this edition include: recent work in personnel evaluation and its relevance to program evaluation; new material on the evaluation of scientific theories; new ways to extend objective testing beyond multiple choice items without loss of speed of correcting; new uses of computers in evaluation; analyses of related concepts such as diagnosis, policy, etiology, risk assessment, focus groups, quality circles and the economic realities of consulting including conflict of interest; types of contract; and press releases.