**UPDATE** This post really struck a nerve. I want to thank everyone who has read it and shared with others. Now you can get a take home pdf version, just download it here. I really think that you should blog. That whatever is getting in your way, you should shove it aside and just write something. […]
Computer Simulation in Evaluation
Wouldn’t it be great to uncover some of the trouble spots in a program’s design before that program was implemented? At last year’s evaluation conference, I was able to attend a session put on by Jeff Wasbes and Jonathan Morell. The result: I’ve had “attempt computer simulation” on my todo list for the past year. […]
16 Blogging styles for researchers and evaluators
I dislike the term blogosphere. It sounds like some kind of all-encompassing entity. One made up of personal gripes, margarita recipes, and silly cat videos. It would be like grouping together grocery store flyers, credit card applications, and heartfelt letters. We would see it on the news… The anchor would say, “hey, what did the […]
12 blogging mistakes made by researchers and evaluators
Blogging is like everything else, when you first start you’re going to make a lot of mistakes. Eventually, if you want to improve, you’re going to need to stop making the same mistakes over and over. I’ve been working with fellow bloggers for years now, here are some of the mistakes I see repeated time […]
The secret to high response rates, 5 follow-up cartoons
The secret to high response rates: follow-up. If the mass email doesn’t work, send an individualized email. If that email doesn’t work, call. If calling doesn’t work, mail. Everyone responds differently, perseverance is the key. It also helps to stand out a little. I’ve developed this set of cartoons to do just that, stand out […]
Cartooning Tom Murphy, 7 illustrations on development
Outside of my 9 to 5, the topic I get asked about the most is social media. So much so that I’ve started designing and writing a companion blog to this one just to cover the topic. If you’re interested I’ll have more info about in the next few weeks. My first piece of advice […]
Randomized Controlled Trials, 5 illustration collaboration with Jen Hamilton
You know what’s great about collaborating with experts? After each post I know a little bit more about the evaluation world. How about you? Have any of my cartoons helped you learn something new? I hope so. About the Illustrations This week’s collaboration is with friend and colleague Jen Hamilton. Jen’s leading a three day […]
Illustrating Causation, 5 cartoons in collaboration with Jane Davidson
Jane Davidson will be talking causation as part of the BetterEvaluation/AEA coffeebreak webinar series. If you read this prior to Tuesday, May 21, 2013, 4:00 – 4:20 PM EDT, you can sign up for the free live webinar. If you get to this after the date, you can go here for an Open to […]
6 Common Presentation Mistakes Illustrated, Cartoon Collaboration with Stephanie Evergreen
Anyone can totally trash a boring bullet-point laden presentation slide deck. But it takes someone special to turn that boring slide deck into something sleek and noteworthy. Stephanie Evergreen, who led AEA’s potent presentations initiative, is one of those special people. I asked Stephanie about some of the common mistakes she sees on a regular […]
Developing a Counterfactual, 5 illustrations
The idea for this post came from a tweet sent out by David Henderson a couple of weeks ago. Lack of data literacy is biggest barrier to #eval. Everyone in sector should know what a counterfactual is – yet many “evaluators” don’t. — David Henderson (@david_henderson) April 23, 2013 That sounded like a challenge. So I […]