ABSTRACT
Evaluation research involves systematic assessment of policy outcomes. ‘Measuring the effects’ entails the use of a rigorous research methodology, while focus on ‘the effects’ denotes a concern with outcomes of policy, rather than efficiency, honesty, equity or some other criterion. Evaluation studies are conducted to aid decision-makers in reaching conclusions about continuing a policy; or improving a policy; or adding or withdrawing specific features of a policy; or introducing similar policies elsewhere; or allocating resources between competing alternatives; or accepting or rejecting the theoretical basis on which a policy rests. A chain of interrelated events which for research purposes has only an arbitrary beginning and ending joined by a similarly arbitrary number of intervening steps. The clinical randomized controlled trial is a well-established form of evaluation. It does not always rely on random allocation to experimental or control groups, but if it does not do so it is not then a true randomized experiment.
