ABSTRACT
In developing nearly any intervention, informal evaluation and reflection takes place throughout the development process. This chapter is concerned with the evaluation in design research that intends to inform an external scientific community as well as drive intervention development. This kind of evaluation is conscious, systematic, and formalized. Here, the term “evaluation,” is used in a broad sense to refer to any kind of empirical testing of interventions that have been mapped out (designs) or constructed (prototypes). Reflection pertains to retrospective consideration of findings and observations (not to assessment of personal performance). This chapter begins by describing the main activities and outputs of the evaluation and reflection micro-cycle, which has its own logical chain of reasoning, before discussing how the detective and inventor mindsets can be of value. The stage is set for evaluation and reflection with a brief characterization of the process. Then, the evaluation process is described as a series of steps, starting with establishing a focus and concluding with reporting. Thereafter, the role of reflection and the processes that support it are addressed. The chapter concludes by recapitulating the main outputs from this phase, and briefly discussing what might come next.
