Foundational Publications
Books
Donaldson, S. I., & Picciotto, R. (2016). Evaluation for an equitable society. Greenwich, CT: Information Age.
Donaldson, S. I., Christie, C. A., & Mark, M. (2015). Credible and actionable evidence: The foundation of rigorous and influential evaluations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Donaldson, S. I. (Ed.) (2013). The future of evaluation in society: A tribute to Michael Scriven. Greenwich, CT: Information Age.
Donaldson, S. I., Azzam, T. A., & Conner, R. (Eds.) (2013). Emerging practices in international development evaluation. Greenwich, NY: Information Age.
Mark, M., Donaldson, S. I., & Campbell, B. (Eds.) (2011). Social psychology and evaluation. New York, NY: Guilford.
Chen, H.T., Donaldson, S. I., & M. M. Mark (Eds.) (2011). Advancing validity in outcome evaluation: Theory & practice. New Directions for Evaluation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Donaldson, S. I. (2007). Program theory-driven evaluation science: Strategies and applications. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Recent Articles & Chapters
Donaldson, S. I. (2017). There is more to life than evaluation logic and data: Trusting gut feeling. New Directions for Evaluation.
Donaldson, S. I. (2017). Empowerment evaluation: An approach that has literally altered the landscape of evaluation. Evaluation and Program Planning, 63.
Donaldson, S. I., & Donaldson, S. I. (2016). Visions for using evaluation to develop more equitable societies. In S. I. Donaldson, & R. Picciotti, Evaluation for an equitable society. Greenwich, NY: Information Age.
Leeuw, F. L., & Donaldson, S. I. (2015). Theories in evaluation: Reducing confusion and encouraging debate. Evaluation: The International Journal of Theory, Research, & Practice,
21(4), 467-480.
Donaldson, S. I. (2015). Examining the backbone of contemporary evaluation practice: Credible and actionable evidence. In S. I. Donaldson, C. A. Christie, & M. M. Mark (Eds.). Credible and actionable evidence: The foundation of rigorous and influential evaluations. Newbury Park: Sage.
Bledsoe, K, & Donaldson, S. I. (2015). Culturally responsive theory-driven evaluations. In S. Hood, R. Hopson, K. Obeidat, & H. Frierson (Eds.), Continuing the journey to reposition culture and cultural context in evaluation theory and practice. Greenwich, NY: Information Age.
Sample of Current Student Projects
Common Strategies of Exemplary Evaluations
The CEC-TDE is currently studying the American Evaluation Association Outstanding Evaluation Award. The award is given for “successful completion of a single evaluation project that can essentially stand alone as an example of high quality evaluation.” Through a content analysis we are focusing on common evaluation designs, methods, and theories utilized.
More Effectively Making the Invisible Visible: Exemplary Theory-Driven Evaluation
The CEC-TDE is conducting a review of over 100 articles from eleven journals that describe evaluations incorporating principles of theory-driven evaluation. Exemplary cases, and the lessons they convey, will be highlighted to show how principles of theory-driven evaluation can strengthen an evaluation.