Synthesis of articles in Evaluation and Program Planning: 2010-2016.

Area of Science:

• Program planning and evaluation research
• Public health research
• Adolescent and child research

Background:

• The Evaluation and Program Planning journal is a key publication in the field.
• Understanding trends in published research is crucial for guiding future studies.
• A six-year analysis (2010-2016) provides a snapshot of the journal's focus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the publication trends in the Evaluation and Program Planning journal from 2010 to 2016.
• To identify prevalent research domains, evaluation types, authorship patterns, and data collection methods.
• To provide recommendations for enhancing the journal's international scope and multicultural representation.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of articles published in the Evaluation and Program Planning journal (2010-2016).
• Categorization of articles by research domain, evaluation type (formative/summative), authorship origin, author count, and data collection methods.
• Quantitative assessment of publication frequencies and trends.

Main Results:

• Public health, evaluation, and adolescent/child research were the most prevalent domains.
• The majority of authors were affiliated with North American institutions.
• Most published articles featured three or more authors.
• Document review emerged as the most frequently utilized data collection method.

Conclusions:

• The journal's content is heavily concentrated in specific research areas and geographic regions.
• There is a need to increase the publication of articles with multicultural perspectives.
• Soliciting contributions from a broader international base is recommended to fulfill the journal's global mission.