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  • Realist synthesis: an introduction

    This guide, written by Ray Pawson, Trisha Greenhalgh, Gill Harvey and Kieran Walshe for the ESRC Research Methods Programme, provides an introduction to using realist synthesis, with a focus on h
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  • Revolutionary Google-backed system unlocks power of big data to save forests

    This blog post from Rhett A Butler for Mongabay.com outlines the use of a new tool, Global Forest Watch, which uses big data to monitor global forests on a monthly basis.  Utilising Google’s computing cloud the tool is able to analyse NASA
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  • Gender equality and big data: Making gender data visible

    The report from UN Women, with support from UN Global Pulse, outlines the value of big data for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to women.
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  • Measuring results and impact in the age of big data

    This paper explores the nexus of data science and evaluation, probing the issues and challenges of incorporating big data into evaluation practice. This resource and the following information was contributed by Alice Macfarlan.
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  • Global innovations in measurement and evaluation

    This report by NPC highlights their research into the latest developments in theory and practice in measurement and evaluation. The authors found that new thinking, techniques, and technology are influencing and improving practice.
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  • Discussion Paper: Innovations in Monitoring and Evaluation

    This discussion paper produced by the United Nations Development Programme discusses various innovations that are occurring in M&E, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.
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  • Big data for development: challenges & opportunities

    This white paper by UN Global Pulse examines the use of Big Data in development contexts.
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  • Geospatial analysis in evaluation

    This blog from the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) highlights the role of geospatial data in understanding change in phenomena, and answering questions of relevance and effectiveness of development interventions.
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  • Learning from data innovation

    This episode from the IEG podcast 'What have we learned' features Brenda Barbour and Jos Vaessen discussing the opportunities and challenges of using innovative technologies with evaluation data.
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  • Big data and evaluation: Use and implications

    Big data is emerging as a new world currency.
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  • What about administrative data?

    In this guest blog, Kerry McCarthy discusses some of the options for finding administrative data sets for use in evaluation.
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  • 2017 International realist conference

    We've got our head in realism this week, partly because early-bird registrations for the 2017 International Realist Conference close soon, and partly because we've been shown Chris Lysy's realist cartoon series (commissioned by the Rameses
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  • Digital dividends in natural resource management

    The report sets out research findings on the "digital dividends" of various types of technology on natural resource management in low and middle-income countries.
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  • Big data

    Big data refers to data that are so large and complex that traditional methods of collection and analysis are not possible. 
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  • CEDIL Methods Brief - Using big data for impact evaluations

    This paper provides detailed guidance on using big data to fill data gaps in impact evaluations.
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  • Evidence-based policy: A realist perspective

    This book, written by Ray Pawson, provides a critique of the meta-analytic approach and argues that the realist synthesis is a better way of understanding program theory, therefore enabling properly targeted policies to address the constant
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