An Exploration of Fourth Generation Evaluation in Practice

The use of the constructivist paradigm to undertake so called ‘fourth generation evaluation ’ (FGE) has been promoted by its initial proponents (Guba and Lincoln) since the late 1980s. Despite this its use is still rarely favoured over the conventional positivist scientifi c approach. This paper explores the applicability of some of the main principles of FGE in relation to an evaluation undertaken by the authors. K E Y WO R D S: authenticity criteria; constructivist; fourth generation evaluation; participation; stakeholde