Membership categorization analysis as an important qualitative method in evaluation

•Membership Categorization Analysis (MCA) is a rigorous, underused methodology.•MCA shows the boundaries within which program participants allow themselves to act.•MCA provides unique insights into barriers to successful interventions. This paper presents Membership Categorization Analysis (MCA) as a useful qualitative methodology in evaluation study. MCA is closely connected to Conversation Analysis and is most frequently used in Sociology studies. MCA provides evaluators unique insights into the boundaries different categories (e.g. teachers, students) place on themselves and their actions. The paper includes an illustrated example of the value added of MCA in an evaluation of an early childhood educator improvement program.