Applications of Multidimensional Similarity Scaling (MDS) in evaluation research

Abstract

Two cases are presented to illustrate the applicability of multidimensional similarity scaling in evaluation research. In the first case, respondents were the Executive Directors of ten children's service agencies in the downtown area of a large metropolitan center. They each made paired-comparison judgements of interagency similarity which were used to produce a mapping of the agencies. Dimensions were interpreted through key informant interviews and analysis of published program descriptions. The mapping not only identified the types of services that were available but also an area of potential need for service. In the second case, students judged the similarity of required courses in a university Bachelor's degree program designed for child welfare/children's mental health practitioners. Dimensions were interpreted by correlating independently-obtained ratings of the courses with the derived similarity dimensions. The information obtained confirmed that the program was perceived to function as designed and also was useful in a required program restructuring. The implications of adopting multidimensional similarity scaling as an analytic tool in evaluation research are discussed.