Greetings aea365 readers AND authors! I’m Sheila B Robinson, aea365’s Lead Curator and sometimes Saturday contributor. A few weeks ago, I wrote this post asking what you would like to read about on aea365 in 2016.
Many thanks to those who offered comments with ideas for posts. Now, I’m writing to ask YOU to consider contributing a post on one of these suggested topics, or any other evaluation-related topic.
Lesson Learned: Here’s a sample of what our readers would like:
- Evaluation bloopers: Evaluator share lessons learned from mistakes they’ve made or what people have learned as they’ve grown in their career.
- Better ways to summarize and synthesize data from multiple sources when doing background research for a report, needs assessment, etc.
- Statistical topics: Especially with examples of appropriate use.
- How to make evaluation reports more readable.
- Some people use t-test to analyze Retrospective Pre-Post Self-Assessment data (while others just present the results). Some statisticians are against using the t-test in this kind of evaluations.
- Experts from related fields do guest blogging: Like a statistical expert on how to use R or management experts on tips to manage projects.
- Nature conservation: There are really “big” questions and challenges on how to measure changes / impacts influenced by programs/projects aiming nature conservation – sustainable development – environmental protection.
- Storytelling: More and more foundations go this road to share some of their impacts and give voice to their beneficiaries. Best way to develop good stories.
- What are the latest trends of evaluation and how does one continue to stay current on them?
- Solutions and sources for instruments and good indicators – especially when facing bad ones.
Hot Tip: We’d love to hear from YOU! Please send a draft post for consideration.
Hot Tip: You don’t have to be an expert to contribute! Many readers want to hear from everyday evaluators working in the field. You don’t need to be doing something unusual, cutting edge, or revolutionary. Tell us how a strategy has worked for you. Tell us what you’re learning about and experimenting with. Tell us about a lesson you’ve learned. Tell us about a book you’ve read, a course you took, or an experience that gave you new insight.
Cool Trick: Follow contribution guidelines! You can find the link right up there…yes, just look up to the top of your screen and there it is! We can only publish posts that adhere to these simple guidelines.
Get Involved: It’s time to share YOUR insights with aea365 readers! We rely on the hundreds of generous authors who have contributed (many multiple times!) over the past 6 years to keep this daily blog going. As you can imagine, collecting 365 posts each year is no small task.
Is this the year YOU decide to contribute? We certainly hope so, and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.
Exciting stuff! Could you tell us if there is a deadline? Thanks!