Centre for Applied Social Surveys
Short Course
Evaluation Methods
Supported by the ESRC
Susan Purdon and Chris Skinner
15-17 April 2002
University of Southampton
CASS is an ESRC Resource Centre hosted by National Centre for
Social Research, the
University of Southampton and the
University of Surrey
Course Objectives:
To provide participants with an understanding of the
methodological issues arising in the use of surveys for the
quantitative evaluation of social interventions and policies.
To introduce participants to the main approaches to designing
survey-based studies for evaluation.
To introduce participants to methods of analysing these studies,
with a particular focus on approaches to reducing bias arising
from non-random allocation to intervention groups.
Course Content:
Monitoring and evaluation of policies, programmes and other
social interventions - their nature, aims and examples.
Alternative research methods and sources of data for
evaluation, with a focus on the use of quantitative surveys.
Randomised trials.
Quasi-experimental designs, including matched area
comparisons, matched individual comparisons, before-after
designs and other longitudinal studies.
Methods of analysis, including difference scores, analysis of
covariance and econometric methods.
Target Audience:
The course is aimed at researchers in the social sciences or
government, who are interested in designing or analysing
quantitative survey-based studies to evaluate programmes,
policies or other social interventions.
Pre-requisites:
Participants should be familiar with basic statistical ideas of
estimation and testing and, for the analysis part of the course,
should be familiar with basic methods of regression analysis.
Course Materials:
Participants will receive written course notes and a reading list.
The Instructors:
Susan Purdon is Director of the Survey Methods Centre at the
National Centre for Social Research.
Chris Skinner is Professor of Social Statistics at the University
of Southampton and Director of CASS.
Fee:
£400 (includes course materials, lunches and morning and
afternoon tea). Because of ESRC support, a number of bursaries
are available which reduce the fee to £85 - applicants must be
full-time students, UK academic staff or ESRC-funded
researchers.
Location:
The course will be held at the University of Southampton.
During the course participants can be contacted via the
Department of Social Statistics (Tel: 023 8059 3048, Fax: 023
8059 3846).
Duration:
The course will begin with coffee and registration at 09.30 on 15
April and end at 16.00 on
17 April 2002.
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