How can I contribute?

We are seeking contributing authors to join us in proposing an issue of New Directions of Evaluation, a quarterly sourcebook published by the American Evaluation Association. Selected authors will be asked to write a 3,500 – 5,000 word chapter on original research that fits within the scope of the proposed issue’s theme: Evaluating Evaluation Capacity Building.

To be included in this issue, interested authors must submit a proposal to the guest editors (Megan López and Lyssa Wilson Becho). The guest editors will select the chapter proposals to include in a full proposal to the NDE Editors-in-Chief. If approved, chapter authors will write the full chapter on the proposed topic.

Some examples of chapters that would align with this proposed issue include but are not limited to:

• Examining evaluation artifacts, such as evaluation plans in federal grant proposals across time, as evidence of ECB impact.
• Lessons learned from developing a theory of change and logic model for ECB that aims to enact change on organizational and systems levels.
• Examining and comparing evidence-based tools that measure ECB across various levels.
• Applying evaluation theory to evaluate ECB initiatives. 

We welcome proposals about research at any stage of development or completion. However, please keep in mind, authors must be prepared to submit a final manuscript to the guest editors by February 5, 2024.

We aim to ensure that the chapters featured in this issue are diverse in their approach to evaluating ECB initiatives. We hope that this issue will speak to a diverse audience across various settings and applications. To support diversity in submissions, we encourage you to share this call with colleagues who are doing related work. Coordinated submissions are encouraged as are chapters with multiple authors. In particular, young emerging evaluators/researchers, as well as underrepresented voiced including Black, brown, indigenous, and other non-white researchers are encouraged to submit.

To submit a proposal for a book chapter, visit this link to complete a proposal form by 11:59 pm Eastern on May 19. This form will ask for the following:

• Name and organizational affiliation for all authors
• Author contract information
• Draft title for your chapters
• A 1,000-word narrative description of the proposed chapter, including (if applicable):
  • Relevant background with supporting references
  • Research Aims or Questions
  • Research Methods and Procedures
  • Scope: Why is this issue/topic important? In what settings is this research applicable?
  • Intended audiences
  • Novelty and timeliness
  • Other considerations

 The editors will contact you with a decision no later than June 30, 2023.