Two forms of naturalistic evaluation have appeared within the past decade: (1) a collection of qualitative techniques that are complimentary with conventional quantitative methods; and (2) an alternative paradigm that emphasizes the negotiation of multiple socially constructed realities, interdependence of facts and values, and the emergent…

Several conceptual issues in the theory of evaluation methodology are discussed and illustrated. Four objectives are to: (1) narrow the distinction between research and evaluation; (2) extend the scope of triangulation and multimethods; (3) approach the problem concretely with extended data and interpretations; (4) structure the discussion in…

In evaluation, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts when quantitative and qualitative approaches and methods are combined. Some circumstances in which both approaches can be effectively combined are considered, and case studies of two evaluations using multiple methods are presented. (LMO)