The American Evaluation Association (AEA) is a professional association for evaluators and those with a professional interest in the field of evaluation, including , faculty, students, funders, managers, and government decision-makers. As of 2014, AEA has approximately 7057 members from all 50 US states and over 60 other countries.
The American Evaluation Association's mission is to:
AEA Publishes the AEA: Guiding Principles for Evaluators, which set expectations for evaluators in the areas of: (a) systematic inquiry, (b) competence, (c) integrity/honesty, (d) respect for people, and (e) responsibilities for general and public welfare.
AEA sponsors two journals. The American Journal of Evaluation is published quarterly through SAGE Publications and includes individually peer-reviewed articles on a range of topics in the field.New Directions for Evaluation is a peer-reviewed thematic sourcebook published quarterly through Jossey-Bass/Wiley, with each issue focusing on a different topic or aspect of evaluation.
As of September 2014, AEA has 51 topically-focused subgroups. Each subgroup develops a strand of content for the association’s annual conference, and works to build a community of practice through various means.
In 1986, the Evaluation Research Society and Evaluation Network merged to become the American Evaluation Association.