Principles of Planning, Evaluation, and Research for Health Care Programs provides a basic understanding of the importance of and the key approaches used to conduct health program research and evaluations. The book also examines ethical and cultural competency issues unique to conducting evaluations. Additionally, it offers an introduction to systems thinking and its implications for evaluating the impact of interventions. Written with the undergraduate in mind, this book is ideal for students pursuing a wide spectrum of health careers. Through activities and case studies, readers will gain a solid foundation for understanding all aspects of evaluation while developing the critical thinking skills needed to dissect peer-reviewed publications as well as popular media health claims.