Assessing program impact with the critical incident technique

The critical incident technique (CIT) is a qualitative research method where subjects are encouraged to tell personal stories that provide descriptive data. Researchers who use the CIT employ a structured methodology to encourage respondents to share their experiences regarding a particular topic. Incidents are considered effective/successful when something positive occurs and ineffective/unsuccessful when there are negative results. This article reviews characteristics of the CIT and describes its use to collect data about how library professionals made use of information provided during a series of Extension-led financial education classes.