Subjectivist Approaches to Evaluation - Evaluation Methods in Biomedical Informatics - page 255

formed in that environment. Subjectivist investigators are opportunists
where pertinent information is concerned; they use what they see as the
best information available to illuminate a question under investigation.
A third important distinguishing feature of subjectivist studies is seen in
their product or “deliverable”; they result in reports written in narrative
prose. Although these reports can be lengthy and may require a more sig-
nificant time investment on the part of the reader, no technical under-
standing of quantitative methods or statistics is required to comprehend
them fully. Results of subjectivist studies are therefore accessible to a
broad community—and even entertaining—in a way that results of objec-
tivist studies are not. Reports of subjectivist studies seek to engage their
audience.

Subjectivist Arguments and
Their Philosophical Premises

Subjectivist studies do not seek to prove or demonstrate. They strive for
insightful description—what has been called “thick description” 21 —leading
to deeper understanding of the phenomenon under study. They offer an
argument; they seek to persuade rather than demonstrate. 22 *
It has been emphasized that the purpose of evaluation is to be useful to
various “stakeholders”: those with a need to know. These needs vary
from study to study, and within a given study the needs vary across the dif-
ferent stakeholder groups over time. A major feature of subjectivist
approaches is their responsiveness to these needs. 23 The foci of a study are
formulated though a process of negotiation, to ensure their relevance from
the outset. These foci can be changed in light of accumulating evidence to
guarantee their continuing relevance. As with objectivist methods, subjec-
tivist methods are therefore concordant with the basic tenets of evaluation
as a process that, in order to be successful, must be useful in addition to
truthful.
As our discussion of subjectivist methods unfolds, it becomes clear that
there are numerous features working to ensure that well-executed studies
meet the dual criteria of utility and veracity. At this point, we might ask
whether a method that is so open-ended and responsive can also generate
confidence in the veracity of the findings. In so doing, we come immediately
to the general issue of what makes evidence credible. Objectivist studies
rely on methods of quantitative measurement, discussed in great detail
earlier in this topic, which in turn are based on the principle of intersub-
jectivity, what might also be called quantitative objectivity . 24

Simply stated,

* At this point, the reader is encouraged to refer to the “Evaluation Mindset”
section of Chapter 2 to see the concordance between subjectivist methods and the
broad purposes of evaluation as described earlier.