Taking Stock of Qualitative Methods of Evaluation: A Study of Practices and Quality Criteria.

ABSTRACT: Research on evaluation has mapped the landscape of quantitative evaluation methods. There are far fewer overviews for qualitative methods of evaluation. We present a review of scholarly articles from five widely read evaluation research journals, examining the types of methods used and the transparency of their quality criteria. We briefly look at a large sample of 1070 articles and then randomly select 50 for in-depth study. We document a remarkable variety of qualitative methods, but some stand out: Case studies and stakeholder analysis, often combined with interview techniques. Articles rarely define and conceptualize their methods explicitly. This is understandable from a practical point of view, but it can make it difficult to critically interrogate findings and build systematic knowl

SUBMITTER: Bodenstein T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12715029 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature