Glossary of Research Terms

COMPARISON GROUP: individuals whose characteristics are similar to those of your program participants; these individuals do not receive any services, or receive a different set of services than those you are evaluating.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: the process by which a program uses information or data to make changes in their program or specific services, with the ultimate goal of enhancing service delivery and program quality.

CONTROL GROUP: a group of individuals whose characteristics are similar to those of your program participants, but do not receive the program you are evaluating; individuals are randomly assigned to either the treatment (program) or control group.

DATA: specific information or facts that are collected.

DATA ANALYSIS: the process of systematically applying statistical and logical techniques to describe, summarize, and compare data collected.

DATA COLLECTION PLAN: a written document describing the specific procedures to be used to gather the research and evaluation information or data.

DATABASE: an accumulation of information that has been systematically organized for easy access and analysis, which is usually computerized.

DESIGN: the overall plan and specification of the approach expected in a particular research or evaluation effort.

EVALUATION: a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer basic questions about your program.

EXPERIMENTAL GROUP: a group of individuals receiving the intervention or services being evaluated or studied; this group is compared to a control group.

LOGIC MODEL: a diagram showing the logic or rationale underlying your program; it describes the links between program objectives, program activities, and expected program outcomes.

METHODOLOGY (METHOD): the way in which you find out information; it includes the methods, procedures and techniques used to collect and analyze information.

OUTCOME: outcomes are a result of the program, services, or products you provide; outcomes refer to changes in knowledge, attitudes, abilities, or behavior in participants.

OUTCOME EVALUATION: evaluation designed to assess the extent to which a program or intervention affects participants according to specific data elements; also known as impact or summative evaluation.

PARTICIPANT: an individual, family, agency, neighborhood, or community receiving or participating in services provided by your program; also known as client or target population group.

POSTTEST: a test of measurement taken after a service or intervention takes place; it is compared with the results of a pretest to show evidence of the effects or changes as a result of the service or intervention being evaluated.

PRETEST: a test or measurement taken before a service or intervention takes place; it is compared with the results of a posttest to show evidence of the effects or changes as a result of the service or intervention being evaluated.

PROCESS EVALUATION: an evaluation that examines the extent to which a program is operating as intended by assessing ongoing program operations and whether the targeted population is being served; this type of evaluation helps program staff identify needed interventions and/or change program components to improve service delivery; it is also called formative or implementation evaluation.

RANDOM ASSIGNMENT: the assignment of individuals in the pool of all potential participants to either the experimental (treatment) or control group in such a manner that their assignment to a group is determined entirely by chance.

RELIABILITY: extent to which a measurement (such as an instrument or a data collection procedure) produces consistent results over repeated observations or administrations of the instrument under the same conditions each time.

TREATMENT GROUP: a treatment group is composed of a group of individuals receiving the services, products, or activities (interventions) that you are evaluating; also called an experimental group.

VALIDITY: the extent to which a measurement, instrument or test accurately measures what it is supposed to measure.

(Adapted by Brenda Jones Harden from The Program Manager’s Guide to Evaluation, ACYF, available from HSIPC or on-line at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/.)