Quantitative Designs

Experimental designs – such as the pretest-posttest control group design, employs random assignment of participants.

Quasi-experimental designs – like experimental designs following the same logic but used when random assignment is not possible.

Single-group designs  - where evaluators do not have access to a control group.

Surveys  - a simple descriptive design where a group is described on targeted characteristics. Can be cross-sectional or longitudinal.

Cost analysis – can involve other designs, but direct and indirect costs are factored in.

Qualitative Research Designs

Case studies – involve in-depth exploration of a single case (e.g., an individual, group, school, clinic, event, etc.)

Ethnographic designs – focus on the lived experiences, activities, and social context of life from participants’ perspective

Narrative designs – based on the belief that we can understand events’ meaning by reflecting about the way we talk about them, e.g., how members of community talk about themselves

Phenomenological studies – tries to study participants at a deeper level as is experienced in conscious and unconscious ways by participants within a complex context

Participatory action designs – where participants and researchers are involved in the community and the evaluator works with the community as a change agent. The community works as co-evaluators.

Mixed-Methods Designs

Concurrent mixed methods designs – where qualitative and quantitative designs occur concurrently

Embedded mixed methods designs  -  a type of concurrent approach where quantitative and qualitative designs occur independently (e.g., by two teams),  where one data sets support the larger set.

Sequential mixed methods designs – where mixed methods occur sequentially

Transformative mixed methods designs – commonly take on a cyclical design; start with the community and involve it.

Impact evaluations  - makes use of experimental with participatory and ethnographic designs to see how programs have an impact