Key Concepts, Definitions, and Frameworks

This chapter explores the worldviews that underlie intervention effectiveness research, quality improvement, and program evaluation, and explains the similarities and differences between these perspectives. At the heart of all perspectives is the need to know if an efficacious or research-based intervention is effective in a real-world setting, producing the intended and desired outcomes. Understanding how these worldviews arose and converge provides a basis for conducting intervention effectiveness research, quality improvement activities, or program evaluation using rigorous methods, correctly interpreting findings and disseminating results. Definitions of these terms and other related terms such as translational research and comparative effectiveness research are provided in order to clearly establish the scope of the guidance provided within this book.