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By: Taj Last week I was at the Interaction Design conference. Now, you probably know that evaluation and design dont exactly go hand-in-hand, so I understand if your next thought is a befuddled, Huh? You dont usually find evaluators at a design conference. So, was I just hopping a plane to San Francisco in February because of the awesome weather and the cool town? Well, not exactly, although I have to say those were both nice perks of being there.

By: Sarah Welcome to CRCs monthly series of articles on all things techie: Secrets from the Data Cave! (For those who dont know, the title references our room fondly referred to as the bat cave where data staff can geek out in an isolated setting.) Here well be offering you a sneak peek into the cave, with tips and the latest updates on what were implementing here at CRC.

By: Taj and Sarah Technology is always changing and evolving, and data visualization technology is no exception. While the term infographic was once unfamiliar to most people, fun visualizations are now regularly spotted on Facebook and Twitter feeds for both individuals and businesses. But just how much can we expect to see change within a year? In the spirit of the New Year, we are posting a few predictions on where we think data viz is headed in 2015 and beyond:

Warm Winter Tidings from all of us at CRC! We’ve had an extraordinarily busy year, and are so pleased to have shared much of it with you! This month, rather than a blog with evaluation-related info and tips, we’re once again ending our work year together by taking looks back and forward. Along with continuing to provide high quality evaluation and data services to clients – both existing and new for 2014 – Carson Research has completed its long-term project of updating our branding and communications so that they better reflect what we do and who we serve.

by Sarah McCruden Welcome to CRCs monthly series of articles on all things techie: Secrets from the Data Cave! (For those who dont know, the title references our room fondly referred to as the bat cave where data staff can geek out in an isolated setting.) Here well be offering you a fascinating sneak peek into the cave, with the latest updates & tips on what were implementing here at CRC!

by Mandolin Singleton Last month I attended the 2014 American Evaluation Association conference in Denver, CO. 2014’s conference theme was Visionary Evaluation for a Sustainable, Equitable Future. The event brought together research and evaluation professionals from all over the globe and from a variety of disciplines (e.g., community psychology, health and human services, PreK-12 educational evaluation). Attendees were encouraged to explore ways in which evaluation could be used to support sustainability and equality across disciplines and sectors.

by Sarah McCruden Welcome to CRCs monthly series of articles on all things techie: Secrets from the Data Cave! (For those who dont know, the title references our room fondly referred to as the bat cave where data staff can geek out in an isolated setting.) Here well be offering you a fascinating sneak peek into the cave, with the latest updates & tips on what were implementing here at CRC!

by Jill Scheibler Hint: It involved both literal and metaphorical roller coasters. Today with suntans fading and schools back in full swing it’s a few days into fall and I can definitely feel it! It’s gloomy outside and I’d like nothing more than to revisit my summer vacation. In my role at CRC I wear a number of different evaluation hats, and otherwise keep busy throughout the year teaching courses at a local university and directing a small arts nonprofit called Make Studio.

The Baltimore Data and Evaluation Meetup, recently created by CRC, is a group for people working at nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies who are interested in collecting and using data to improve their programs. Whether you are trying to figure out where to start, wrestling with providing data to funders, figuring out what outcomes you should be measuring, or analyzing and reporting on the data you already collect, this meetup is for you.