Evaluation of Social Programs: A Multimethodological Approach Combining a Delayed Treatment True Experiment and Multiple Time Series

The quandary m which program evaluators find themselves involves a search for ways to maximize the internal validity and inferential power of their research designs while still being able to assess the long-term effects of social programs. A multimethodological research strategy combining a delayed control group true experiment with a multiple time series with switching replications design is proposed as one means of addressing this problem. Providing certain criteria are met, such a combination would enable researchers to conduct research that is inferentially powerful and yet palatable to program personnel. At the same time, such an approach would not forfeit the assessment of long-term follow- up effects.