Transformative Research and Evaluation

From distinguished scholar Donna M. Mertens, this book provides a framework for making methodological decisions and conducting research and evaluations that promote social justice. The transformative paradigm has emerged from—and guides—a broad range of social and behavioral science research projects with communities that have been pushed to the margins, such as ethnic, racial, and sexual minority group members and children and adults with disabilities. Mertens shows how to formulate research questions based on community needs, develop researcher–community partnerships grounded in trust and respect, and skillfully apply quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods data collection strategies. Practical aspects of analyzing and reporting results are addressed, and numerous sample studies are presented. Student- and Instructors-Friendly Features Include: *Commentary on the sample studies that explains what makes them transformative. *Explanations of key concepts related to oppression, social justice, and the role of research and evaluation. *Questions for Thought to stimulate critical self-reflection and discussion. *Advance chapter organizers and chapter summaries.

Table of Contents:
Introduction The Intersection of Applied Social Research and Program Evaluation Paradigms Rationale for the Transformative Paradigm Breadth of Transformative Paradigm Applicability 1. Resilience, Resistance, and Complexities That Challenge In This Chapter Human Rights Agenda The Transformative Paradigm as a Metaphysical Umbrella Need for Transformative Research and Evaluation Examples of Transformative Research and Evaluation Examples of Shifting Paradigms Need for the Transformative Paradigm and Scholarly Literature Need for the Transformative Paradigm and Public Policy Complexities That Challenge Ethical Impetus Striving for Improved Validity Summary 2. The Transformative Paradigm: Basic Beliefs and Commensurate Theories In This Chapter Paradigms and Basic Belief Systems The Transformative Paradigm and Its Basic Belief Systems Theories Commensurate with the Transformative Paradigm Politics and Power Summary 3. Self, Partnerships, and Relationships In This Chapter Human Relations as Factors Contributing to Research Validity and Rigor Knowing Yourself Knowing Yourself in Relation to the Community Cultural Competence Strategies for Developing Relationships/Partnerships Types of Partnerships/Relationships Challenges in Relationships/Partnerships Recognizing the Complexity of Culturally Competent Work Purposes of Partnerships Examples of Points of Interaction in the Research Process Building Capacity Summary 4. Developing the Focus of Research/Evaluation Studies In This Chapter Purposes for the Gathering of Information at This Stage of the Inquiry Sources That Support the Need for Research and Evaluation Theoretical Frameworks Making Use of Sources Summary 5. A Transformative Research and Evaluation Model In This Chapter Cyclical Models: Indigenous Peoples Cyclical Model: PAR Cyclical Models: Immigrant Communities Short-Term Research and Evaluation Types of Transformative Research and Evaluation Transformative Intervention Approaches Summary 6. Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods In This Chapter Mixed- and Multiple-Methods Approaches Case Studies Ethnography Phenomenology Participatory Action Research Appreciative Inquiry Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs Survey Design and Correlational and Causal-Comparative Studies Gender Analysis: A Mixed-Methods Approach with Potential Transfer to Other Groups That Experience Discrimination Rigor in the Process of Research and Evaluation Summary 7. Participants: Identification, Sampling, Consent, and Reciprocity In This Chapter Social Justice: Dimensions of Diversity and Cultural Competence Rationale for Sampling Strategies Recruitment of Participants Protection of Human Participants and Ethical Review Boards Summary 8. Data-Collection Methods, Instruments, and Strategies In This Chapter Reliability and Validity/Dependability and Credibility Language as a Critical Issue Planning Data-Collection Strategies Specific Data-Collection Strategies Summary 9. Data Analysis and Interpretation In This Chapter Transformative Theories as Guides to Data Analysis and Interpretation Involving the Community in Analysis and In

About the Author :
Donna M. Mertens, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Educational Foundations and Research at Gallaudet University. She continues to pursue an active professional life, consulting about evaluations across the globe and, of course, writing about methodological issues and social justice. A past president of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), Dr. Mertens has received AEA’s highest honors for service to the organization and the field, as well as for her contributions to evaluation theory. In 2025, she received the inaugural TEI Social Betterment Award from The Evaluators’ Institute. She is the author of several books and is widely published in major professional journals.

Review :
"This important book assembles the complex array of procedures, perspectives, and priorities associated with transformative research and evaluation. It blends the many voices and illustrations available in the literature to assist the reader in identifying what is possible in this important new paradigm. Significant cross-cultural and international examples of studies that truly warrant the label of 'transformative' are incorporated." - Melvin E. Hall, Department of Educational Psychology, Northern Arizona University "I would definitely recommend this work to colleagues as a resource for professionals and for advanced graduate training. The world is multidimensional, not unidimensional - if evaluators want to stay on the cusp of change, this 'must-read' book should be on their shelves." - Katrina L. Bledsoe, Associate Project Director, Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Washington "This book will challenge students -- including those who have not previously questioned their basic societal beliefs and assumptions--to explore diversity and oppression issues in new ways." - Gary W. Harper, Department of Psychology, DePaul University "Including historically excluded and marginalized people in the processes of generating and using knowledge is transformative not only for research participants, but also for the researchers and evaluators who engage with them. The genius of Mertens's comprehensive approach resides in the way she makes transformative inquiry accessible and inclusive yet intellectually robust and methodologically rigorous. She invites us into the transformative process, changing the ways we both think about and conduct research and evaluation." - Michael Q. Patton, author of Utilization-Focused Evaluation, Fourth Edition "Mertens writes beautifully about conduction research in the service of social justice, using a transformative lens and focusing clearly on each step in the process. This book illustrates why Mertens is so highly regarded for her writing that links research methods theory with practice. I highly recommend this book for researchers and graduate students across the social and human sciences." - John W. Creswell, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln