American Journal of Evaluation

The American Journal of Evaluation (AJE) offers original, peer-reviewed, often highly cited articles about the theory, methods, and practice of evaluation and the role of evaluation in society. The journal’s seven designated sections (see below) allow emphasis and focus within those areas. AJE also provides essay-length reviews of books on a single topic or issue relevant to the theory, methods, and practice of evaluation. Topically, AJE features broad, multidisciplinary perspectives on issues in evaluation relevant to education, public administration, behavioral sciences, human services, health sciences, sociology, criminology, and other disciplines and professional practice fields.

Authors should review the AJE submission and style and format guidelines, noting that the required reference and citation style for this journal is APA 7th edition. Additional specifications for each category, including details about suggested content and page length, appear in the submission types and section descriptions below.

Articles – Articles focus on topics applicable to the broad field of program evaluation. We seek articles that examine topics in evaluation theory, methods, and/or practice. In all cases, implications for practicing evaluators should be clearly identified. Examples of contributions include, but are not limited to, reviews of new developments in evaluation, descriptions of challenges or lessons from a current evaluation study, critical reviews of some area of evaluation practice, and presentations of important new techniques. Length is not a specific criterion for manuscripts, yet well-developed manuscripts tend to be between 20-30 pages (double-spaced). Manuscripts in excess of 35 pages may be returned to the author for additional editing before review at the discretion of the editor.

Forum – Forum contributions present essays, opinions, and professional judgments. These may speak to and about the philosophical, ethical, and practical dilemmas of our diverse, inter- and trans- disciplinary profession. By design, the Forum section encourages submissions from diverse points of view and experiences, in the hope that our professional dialogue will benefit from learning from multiple perspectives. Forum submissions should reference the literature that has contributed to the authors’ perspectives. Manuscripts should not exceed 15 pages (double-spaced).

Special Section – AJE sometimes considers and publishes special sections. Special sections consist of curated articles on a common topic or theme, assembled by an outside group and submitted for consideration through our peer review system. These sections are typically reviewed by peers external to AJE and then reviewed by AJE reviewers. Examples of special sections can be found in issues 44-3 (A Focus on the Evaluation Profession), 39-1 (Building Evidence in Challenging Contexts), and 36-4 (Unpacking the “Black Box” of Social Programs and Policies). Please contact the Co-Editors-in-Chief, Rodney Hopson (AJEHopson@american.edu) and Laura Peck (AJE.EICPeck@gmail.com), if you are interested in submitting a proposal for a special section. In addition to the above submission types, we organize some of the journal’s content into sections. The following describes each section, its expectations for submissions, and the Section Editors.

Book Reviews ­– The vision of the Book Reviews section is to highlight single books applicable to the broad field of evaluation. In addition, this section may include reviews of other kinds of resources for evaluations (e.g., web-based resources, manuals, and handbooks). Book reviews should be less than 2,500 words long. On rare occasions, the Book Reviews Editors also consider essay reviews–in-depth, peer-reviewed articles that examine one or more recent books of particular significance on a single topic. Essay reviews are between 5,000 and 8,000 words long. Ideally, the reviewed books represent a range of topics, diverse authors, and various publishers. All reviews are commissioned by the Book Reviews Editors. Please contact the Book Reviews Editors, Cherie Avent (cmavent@illinois.edu) and Aileen Reid (amreid3@uncg.edu), before beginning to work on a review. You may also contact the Book Reviews Editors with recommendations for books to review.

Economic Evaluation – AJE’s Economic Evaluation section is a space for exemplary methodological and empirical work that deepens our understanding of economic evaluation and the value these methods bring to understanding and guiding social policy and investments. The Economic Evaluation Section Editors invite you to submit manuscripts describing theories, qualitative as well as quantitative methods, findings, uses, and constructive critiques of cost-inclusive evaluations, cost-effectiveness analysis, and cost-benefit analysis. The Section Editors also hope to see evaluations including Value for Money and Social Return on Investment in their inboxes. For additional information, please contact the Section Editors, Viviana Rodriguez (viviana.rodriguez@utsa.edu) and Brian Yates (brian.yates@mac.com).

Ethics, Values, and Culture – This section includes articles that focus on ethics, values, and culture in evaluation, posing questions about the purpose of social inquiry and the responsibility of the evaluator in asking reflective questions of culture, purpose, and role. We invite potential contributors to revisit our vision for this AJE section in this 2024 AEA365 blogpost. As intersectional scholars, we value rooted community framing and lived experience as a necessary part of published scholarship. To that end, we invite authors from underrepresented, marginalized, and minoritized populations individually or as part of the author team. This section is re-imagined to intentionally make space, hold space, and celebrate the rich diversity existing within AEA membership and throughout the field of evaluation, including the communities most impacted by our evaluations. Knowing your positionality, lived experience, and scholarship are the braided components we expect for this section of AJE. If you are an ally, accomplice, or subject matter expert from a majority, white, or other privileged evaluator group, we invite your courageous and critical voices, too. Reflecting on your positionality, privilege, and the settler state at large in the field of evaluation are all very important contributions that our profession desperately needs; therefore, we request that all contributors include a positionality statement with their submitted article. Manuscripts for this section should range from 10-25 double-spaced pages. Before submission of a full article, you may feel free to share an abstract or idea, or request a brief meeting with the editorial team to discuss your ideas. Our contact information is Nicky Bowman (nicky@bpcwi.com), Ayesha Boyce (ayesha.boyce@asu.edu, and Gregory Phillips II (Glp2@northwestern.edu).

Experimental Methodology – The Experimental Methodology section was originally conceptualized under the leadership of George Julnes who pointed to four conditions (i.e., values) that support appropriate and effective use of experimental evaluations: potential information value, legal and ethical value, practical value, and portfolio value. The Experimental Methodology Section Editor aims to continue to publish articles that contribute to our understanding of these conditions and increase an evaluator’s ability to address threats to these values in practice. The Section Editor envisions contributions primarily coming through articles that advance the design and analysis of experimental methods directly (where participants are randomly assigned to treatment and comparison conditions), but also would like the section to be inclusive of other strong quasi-experimental designs (for example, that are recognized by the What Works Clearinghouse) that lead to credible evidence. The Section Editor encourages submissions that pertain to advancing evaluation theories, methods, and practice in the area of experimental methodology. For additional information, please contact the Section Editor, Carl Westine (cwestine@charlotte.edu).

International Developments in Evaluation – We evaluate in–and from–every corner of our complex and diverse world. While American and international evaluation stakeholders are faced with similar opportunities and challenges, this section focuses on the aspects of evaluation–the evaluands, the evaluators, the evaluation systems–that are of relevance to international program evaluation stakeholders. For this reason, this section promotes learning through evaluations that take place outside the United States. Topics include: advances in evaluation practice that embrace complex contexts or diverse cultures, innovative approaches to the evaluation of development programs or of international aid, the work of VOPEs and regional evaluation movements to advance the practice of new forms of evaluation, and evaluation’s role in transforming power dynamics or inequality. All authors contributing original perspectives on such evaluation are welcome. We welcome manuscripts drawing from empirical data, but also practice experience, and reflections on learning-through-doing. We particularly welcome the voices of those traditionally absent from the literature, including voices from the Global South and those underrepresented in global scholarship, such as evaluation practitioners. For more information, please contact the section editors, Caitlin Blaser Mapitsa (Caitlin.Mapitsa@wits.ac.za) and Alysson Akiko Oakley (alyssonakiko@gmail.com).

Method Notes – The Method Note section highlights new or improved developments in evaluation methods, techniques, and tools. The Method Note Section Editor is particularly interested in methods that have been systematically studied, and that can be applied to different types of evaluations. The section is methods neutral, welcoming articles that enhance qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to evaluation. The critical point to consider when developing a Method Note is to connect it directly to the evaluation process or outcome. The most common structure for a Method Note is to overview the area of focus or interest, identify a current issue or limitation with a method, and propose then illustrate a solution. This solution is the new development or innovation being presented in the paper, and it typically includes a description of how the new method addresses the issue raised or allows evaluators to answer questions in an improved or more efficient manner. The typical note also provides an example of the new method as applied in a real-world evaluation, followed by a discussion of its strengths and limitations. This section introduces the evaluation community to cutting-edge development that can help enhance the quality and rigor of our evaluations. Method Notes are typically between 20-25 pages (double-spaced) describing methods and techniques that support effective evaluation practice. For additional information, please contact the Section Editor, Tarek Azzam (uazzat00@gmail.com).

Teaching and Learning of Evaluation – Teaching matters! Do you care deeply about evaluator competencies and what practitioners should know, understand, or be able to do? The Teaching and Learning (T&L) Section Editors seek to publish pieces that advance thinking about teaching and learning of evaluation in formal and informal settings and across diverse cultural contexts, communities, and disciplines. The Section Editors seek scholarly contributions that clearly focus on teaching and learning of evaluation theory, methodology, or practice. While a wide range of contributions are relevant for the scope of the T&L section, the Section Editors are particularly interested in research studies of any systematic design, conceptual frameworks, and teaching and learning strategies. For questions, please contact Section Editors, Daniela Schröter (daniela.schroeter@wmich.edu) and Rebecca H. Woodland (rebecca.woodland@educ.umass.edu).

Submit your manuscript today at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ajeval.