Public Administration
Abstract (no more than 1 page, gives a brief overview of the contents of your paper, the abstract is written last after you have completed your entire paper)
Introduction (2-3 pages in length)
Include your statement in first or second paragraph.
Describe or summarize the policy or program which you intend to evaluate.
What are the goals or desired outcomes of the policy or program?
Why are the goals or outcomes important?
Include your research questions at the end of the introduction.
Literature Review (3-4pages in length)
This section of your paper corresponds directly to your research questions. Each question should be reflected in sub-headings in your literature review. If you don’t have a research question about “it” don’t include “it” in your paper.
How have other researchers attempted to evaluate the policy or program? What were their conclusions? What might be replicated in your evaluation?
What theory or theories connect the policy or program to its goals or desired outcomes?
Methodology (2-4 pages in length, this is how you are going to evaluate this program/policy in the future)
Of all the evaluation techniques you have learned in the course which one will you use to evaluate your policy or program? (Implementation evaluation, Process evaluation, Outcome evaluation, Goals or desired outcomes, Program theory, Quantitative methodology, Qualitative methodology, Dependent variable(s), Independent variable(s),
Experimental design, Quasi-experimental design, Internal validity, External validity, Unit of analysis, Replication, Meta-analysis, Cost-benefit analysis, Cost-effectiveness analysis)
Is an experimental design relevant to your evaluation? If so, how? What form? If not, why not?
Is your evaluation a process evaluation or an outcome evaluation? Why? How?
What are the principal components of your evaluation design?
Study Variables
Name your dependent, independent, and control variables.
Data Collection
Name your unit(s) of analysis.
How do you propose to measure the factors, variables, goals, or outcomes which are relevant to your evaluation?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your proposed measures?
Sampling and Survey Instruments
What are the principal sources of data and information which you propose to employ?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your proposed sources?
Data Analysis
How do you propose to analyze and to interpret the data and information which you collect? In other words, how will your analysis and/or interpretation show that the policy or program goals or outcomes have or have not been achieved?
Conclusion (2-3 pages in length)
Analyze what you have learned and inform the reader (No real analysis will be done).
What policy or programmatic recommendations might emerge from your evaluation?
References (must be in APA style, not all citation generation programs will produce a correct APA reference page, you must double check)
