“A Lot of It Really Does Come Down to Values”: An Empirical Study of the Values Advanced by Seasoned Evaluators

This study challenges persistent misrepresentations of evaluation as a value-neutral inquiry process by presenting an empirical study that deepens understanding of evaluators’ values and how they “show up” in evaluation practice. Through semistructured interviews and inductive analysis, we examined...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American journal of evaluation Vol. 44; no. 3; pp. 453 - 473
Main Authors Teasdale, Rebecca M., McNeilly, Jennifer R., Ramírez Garzón, Maria Isabel, Novak, Judit, Greene, Jennifer C.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2023
Subjects
Accountability
Context Effect
Cooperation
Credibility
Ethics
Evaluation
Evaluation Methods
Evaluators
Inclusion
Interpersonal Communication
Responsibility
Social Justice
Stakeholders
Value Judgment
Values
research on evaluation
values engagement
evaluation practice
values
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Summary:This study challenges persistent misrepresentations of evaluation as a value-neutral inquiry process by presenting an empirical study that deepens understanding of evaluators’ values and how they “show up” in evaluation practice. Through semistructured interviews and inductive analysis, we examined the values advanced by a sample of eight experienced evaluators. We surfaced and examined 12 values, which we organized into five clusters, that shaped the constitutive elements of the studies these evaluators conducted and guided how the evaluators positioned their work. Our findings provide empirical evidence about the role of values in evaluation practice and can support evaluators in reflecting on their own values and enacting their professional and ethical responsibilities to identify and articulate their values in the context of evaluation practice.
ISSN:1098-2140
1557-0878
DOI:10.1177/10982140231153805