Steers a middle course between approaching research and evaluation from a conceptual perpective and presenting them as practical tools essential to successful programming and effective agency management. Chapters 1-4 discuss the professional role, concepts, and language of research and evaluation. Chapters 5-8 cover research design and methodologies. Chapters 9-13 describe the process of developing and conducting studies. Chapters 14 and 15 cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Chapters 16-19 deal with evaluation study design and instruments. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

This is a comprehensive introduction to conducting and using evaluation research. It serves leisure studies students and recreation agency managers by advancing a framework for evaluation and discussing specific tactics for planning, executing, and reporting. Ideas for how to evaluate programs, participant needs, personnel, physical plant, and marketing are featured. The book is pragmatic in writing style and content, building not only an ethic or evaluation-based accountability of leisure services, but also a 'can-do' readiness for actually conducting an evaluation project.

The first book to integrate the social science literature on outdoor recreation has been completely updated to reflect current research and new concerns. The book is a standard text in courses and an invaluable reference for park and recreation managers.

"For twenty-five years, Studies in Outdoor Recreation has been a standard text in courses on parks and outdoor recreation and serves as an invaluable reference for park and recreation managers. The first book to integrate the social science literature on outdoor recreation, it reviews studies from this broad, interdisciplinary field and synthesizes them into a body of knowledge, providing an historical perspective on outdoor recreation research and developing its practical management implications. This fourth edition is revised to reflect current research and new concerns in the field. An essential resource for students, scholars, and professionals, Studies in Outdoor Recreation explores the theoretical and methodological issues in outdoor recreation and describes the management implications of outdoor recreation research."--