Data collection methods for evaluation: Document review

This resource from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a brief guide to using document review as a data collection method for evaluation.

This guide provides an overview of when to use document review, how to plan and conduct it, and its advantages and disadvantages. It is noted that document review is helpful for gathering background information, determining if program implementation reflects program plans, and developing other data collection tools for evaluation.

Document review has several advantages, including being relatively inexpensive, providing a behind-the-scenes look at a program that may not be directly observable, and bringing up issues not noted by other means. However, there are also potential disadvantages, such as information being incomplete or inaccurate, biased due to selective survival of information, and time-consuming to collect, review, and analyze many documents.