Core Concepts in Evaluation: Contemporary Commentary on Classic Writings

The Evaluation Center

Core Concepts in Evaluation: Classic Writings and Contemporary Commentary

Edited by Lori Wingate, Ayesha Boyce, Lyssa Wilson Becho, and Kelly Robertson, this unique book features original writings from evaluation's foundational thinkers, together with new commentaries from contemporary authors. Each section includes an introduction to a core evaluation concept by the editors, a classic reading, two commentaries on that topic by contemporary authors, and a reflection guide written by the editors.

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This book features contributions from 26 established and emerging evaluation scholars. The authors are diverse in terms of gender identity, sexual orientation, age, countries of residence and origin, as well as evaluation experience, training, and sector.

Gender identity: Five authors identify as queer, two as bisexual, two as gay or lesbian, and 19 as straight or heterosexual (one person chose not to share their sexual identity).
Age: Authors’ ages range from 26 to 67, with a median of 40.
Race and Ethnicity: Nine authors identify as Black, African-American, African, or Caribbean; nine as White; four as Latino/a/e; two as Asian or East Asian or Indian; one as both Asian/East Asian/Indian and Middle Eastern; and one as Indigenous Arab
Countries of residence and origin: The authors reside in eight different countries, including the United States (n=19), Australia, Botswana, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Kenya, and South Africa. Eight authors’ nation of origin is different from where they currently reside.
Years in evaluation: The authors’ years of experience working or studying in the evaluation field ranges from three to 31, with a median of 12.
Sector: Half of the authors (n=13) work in academia, with others working in government, for-profit enterprises, or non-profits.