A refined method for theory-based evaluation of the societal impacts of research
| dc.creator | Belcher, B. | |
| dc.creator | Davel, R. | |
| dc.creator | Claus, R. | |
| dc.date | 2020 | |
| dc.date | 2021-03-08T08:14:49Z | |
| dc.date | 2021-03-08T08:14:49Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-06-27T14:06:29Z | |
| dc.description | With high and increasing expectations for research to have social and environmental impact, there is a corresponding need for appropriate methods to demonstrate (for accountability) and analyze (for learning) whether and how research projects contribute to change processes. Evaluation is especially challenging for problem-oriented research that employs inter- and transdisciplinary approaches and intervenes in complex systems, where experimental and statistical approaches to causal inference are inappropriate. Instead, theory-based evaluation can be applied to identify and test causal processes. This paper presents a detailed explanation of the Outcome Evaluation approach applied in Belcher et al. (2019b). It draws on concepts and approaches used in theory-based program evaluation and the more limited experience of theory-based research evaluation, providing a brief overview of conceptual strengths and limitations of other methods. The paper offers step-by-step guidance on application of the Outcome Evaluation approach, detailing how to: document a theory of change; determine data needs and sources; collect data; manage and analyze data; and present findings. This approach provides a clear conceptual and analytical framework in addition to actor-specific and impact pathway analyses for more precision in the assessment of outcomes. Specifically, the Outcome Evaluation approach: •Conceptualizes research within a complex system and explicitly recognizes the role of other actors, context, and external processes;•Utilizes a detailed actor-centred theory of change (ToC) as the analytical framework; and•Explicitly tests a set of hypotheses about the relationship between the research process/outputs and outcomes. | |
| dc.identifier | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111878 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/74086 | |
| dc.language | en | |
| dc.publisher | Elsevier | |
| dc.rights | Open Access | |
| dc.source | Belcher, B. Davel, R. Claus, R. 2020. A refined method for theory-based evaluation of the societal impacts of research. MethodsX, 7: 100788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2020.100788 | |
| dc.subject | evaluation | |
| dc.subject | research | |
| dc.subject | impact assessment | |
| dc.title | A refined method for theory-based evaluation of the societal impacts of research | |
| dc.type | Journal Article |