Translational Research Design: Collaborating with Stakeholders for Program Evaluation

In this article, the authors examine researcher collaboration with stakeholders in the context of a translational research approach used to evaluate an elementary school program. The authors share their experiences as evaluators of this particular program to demonstrate how collaboration with stakeholders evolved when a translational research approach was applied to program evaluation. Beginning with a review of literature regarding stakeholder participation in evaluation and other qualitative research, the article reflects on a method for conceptualizing participant involvement and collaboration within the translational framework. The relationship between researchers and stakeholders is articulated according to this method. We interpose these descriptions with their alignment to Petronio's (2002, 2007) five types of practical validity for translational research. The paper ends with a consideration of what was learned throughout the evaluation process, including both successes and challenges, by means of the translational model.