Pseudoissues in Practice Evaluation: Impediments to Responsible Practice

Abstract

This article reviews often-cited barriers to the implementation of practice evaluation activities and suggests that they are pseudoissues. Five pseudoissues in evaluation are reviewed: (1) time constraints, (2) single-system design issues, (3) gender and ethnic bias, (4) complexity of practice, and (5) incompatibility between the science of evaluation and the art of helping. These pseudoissues result from two misconceptions: First, these issues are sometimes viewed as affecting only the evaluation component of practice, but they pervade all of practice. Second, the confusion about the purpose of single-system designs leads to unwarranted concerns about design and methodology. The article argues that the incorporation of evaluation activities in practice helps practitioners become more aware of and sensitive to legitimate barriers to effective practice and paves the way for overcoming these barriers.