| In many cases, data analysis
and interpretation can be the most time consuming tasks
of your evaluation. The result of data collection is
often an enormous assortment of responses, numerical
rankings, recordings, logs, and suggestions for change.
Your job is to sort out these data in order to understand
what they say about your program. This requires organization
and focus to make sure
all the data are |
|
represented. To make sure
you stay on schedule and complete all the tasks involved,
you should consider drafting an analysis plan.
An analysis plan links the evaluation
objectives, or questions you want answered, with the
data collected, and spells out the analysis that will
be conducted once the data are available. It should
be written early, as you are creating the data collection
instruments. If the analysis plan is written too late,
you may overlook key questions or critical information.
With the help of an expert, your plan can help you determine
if an item is capable of being measured, if the data
collection instruments will yield data that can be used
to answer the questions, and if the planned analyses
will use those data properly.1
An analysis plan will help you sort out the analysis
process. Below are some typical steps that might be
included in an analysis plan. Click on the links below
to take a closer look at each step.
| Step |
|
Description/Purpose |
| 1.
Get to Know The Data |
A thorough review of
all the pieces of data to become familiar with what
you have at your disposal.
|
| 2.
Prepare and Focus the Data |
The process of sifting through all
data and putting it into an organized format, usually
using some kind of computer software. This is done
to organize your data and concentrate your attention
upon the aspects that address your evaluation questions.
Through this process, you will determine which pieces
of data are most important for answering your evaluation
question(s).
|
| 3.
Analyze the Data |
A careful review of the responses
you prepared (from step 2) in order to accurately
interpret their meaning. Analysis is conducted differently
for qualitative and quantitative data results.
|
| 4.
Interpret the data |
|
The process of determining
whether the questions about your program have been
answered, drawing conclusions about your data.
|
| 5.
Select a Data Presentation Format |
|
Presenting your findings in a format
that the intended audience can easily understand.
|
---------------
1. Source: Muskin, L.A. (1993). Understanding
evaluation: The way to better prevention programs.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
http://www.ed.gov/PDFDocs/handbook.pdf
|
