The Evaluation Journal of Australasia (EJA) is calling for papers on evaluation and COVID-19, to better understand responses to the pandemic – locally, nationally or globally – and to illuminate the unique insights that evaluation brings. The swift and global spread of the COVID-19 virus since December 2019 has seen a range of health, economic, ethical and social challenges arising from the pandemic. As governments and other organisations begin implementing dual COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, there is opportunity to consider the impacts of political, economic, and social decisions through an evaluator’s lens.
Papers may examine pandemic responses by government, private organisations, the not for profit sector, or the community, or consider conflicting views as well as the ethical challenges that underpin these conflicts. In addition to the devastating impacts on health and human life, the impacts of COVID-19 have also been felt by evaluation businesses, as governments and other commissioners of evaluation divert resources to help manage urgent need and other aspects of the crisis. Papers may also consider how the pandemic has influenced evaluative work and the evaluation sector, both in practical or immediate terms, and more broadly, by way of the authorising environments for evaluation.
The scope and topics to be addressed by submissions
Submissions may consider evaluation across a range of COVID-19 contexts – sharing significant evaluation insights or findings, implications for evaluation theory or practice, or showcasing innovation in evaluation methods. Topics may include evaluation insights from:
- health, disability, aged care and other social care sectors
- education, tertiary and skills sectors
- impacts on international development monitoring and evaluation
- evaluation of emergency management, government or community organisational responses to the pandemic, and pandemic recovery
- ethical and equity issues
- economic and funding responses, including socio-economic impacts
- digital technologies, disruption and innovation in evaluation practice
- methodological or theoretical impacts
- impacts of COVID-19 on the evaluation sector, including future impacts and implications for practice.
Submission guidelines
Papers should be between 3000–5000 words. EJA has three key article types:
- academic (theory) papers
- practice papers and
- post-graduate papers.
We will also consider special features such as case studies – please contact us to discuss.
Articles must be underpinned by evidence, make a contribution to the field of evaluation, and meet the submission guidelines for the EJA.
Enquiries
If you would like to discuss a possible submission, please email your query to
Open call for papers
The journal is published quarterly. Papers will be considered for publication on an ongoing basis for publication in 2021–22.