Assessing the Value of Inductive and Deductive Outcome Measures in Community-Based Programs

Lessons from the City Kidz Evaluation

Authors

  • Rich Janzen Centre for Community Based Research/Renison University College, University of Waterloo Kitchener, Ontario
  • Nghia Nguyen Centre for Community Based Research Kitchener, Ontario
  • Alethea Stobbe Centre for Community Based Research Kitchener, Ontario
  • Liliana Araujo Centre for Community Based Research Kitchener, Ontario

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.30.1.41

Keywords:

community-based research, inductive versus deductive approaches, outcome evaluation, survey design

Abstract

Evaluators of community-based programs frequently need to decide whether to adopt an inductive or deductive approach in developing quantitative outcome measures. This article explores this issue using a case example of a child anti-poverty program called City Kidz. Its recent evaluation combined an inductive and deductive approach to develop a survey. The article describes the City Kidz evaluation and its survey before assessing the value of the survey, considering internal consistency and various aspects of validity. The article concludes with a discussion about the factors that helped and hindered the appropriateness of the survey in light of the inductive and deductive approaches used.

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Published

2015-04-21

How to Cite

Janzen, R., Nguyen, N., Stobbe, A., & Araujo, L. (2015). Assessing the Value of Inductive and Deductive Outcome Measures in Community-Based Programs: Lessons from the City Kidz Evaluation. Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 30(1), 41–63. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjpe.30.1.41

Issue

Vol. 30 No. 1 (2015): Spring

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2015 Rich Janzen, Nghia Nguyen, Alethea Stobbe, Liliana Araujo

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