THE 1970'S SAW A REMARKABLE SPURT OF GROWTH IN THE EVALUATION FIELD. THIS GROWTH WAS MARKED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EVALUATION AS A NEW INDUSTRY, THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW PROFESSIONALISM IN THE FIELD, RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATION BY THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY, QUALITY CONTROL EFFORTS BY WATCHDOG GROUPS, AND EFFORTS TO ADDRESS METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AND MAXIMIZE DISSEMINATION OF STUDIES. IN THE FUTURE, THERE WILL BE SHIFTS IN OUTLOOK FOR EVALUATION RESEARCH. INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS WILL DECLINE. THERE WILL BE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND MANAGERIAL EVALUATIONS OF OUTGOING PROGRAMS THAN OF TRUE EXPERIMENTS TO TEST NEWLY CREATED VENTURES. EVALUATION WILL SHIFT FROM AN ACADEMIC TO AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SETTING, CONSEQUENTLY INFLUENCING THE WAYS THE FIELD WILL DEVELOP METHODOLOGICALLY. DISCOVERIES IN METHOD WILL BE MORE PRACTICAL THAN BASIC. IN THE FUTURE, CONTINUED FEDERAL FUNDING IN HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE WILL BE DEPENDENT ON DEMONSTRATED PROGRAM IMPACT, AND SUNSET LEGISLATION. THERE WILL BE FEWER IMPORTANT POLICY EVALUATIONS AND MORE ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGERIAL EFFORTS. EVALUATION QUESTIONS WILL INCREASINGLY BE SPECIFIED EITHER BY CONGRESS OR THE ADMINISTERING AGENCY, INCLUDING THE SETTING OF DESIGN AND METHODOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDIES. OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTIGATOR-INSPIRED STUDIES AND BASIC METHODOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT WILL DECREASE. THUS, EVALUATION WILL BECOME LESS IDENTIFIED WITH THE GENERAL SOCIAL RESEARCH COMMUNITY. THE PROFESSIONALIZATION OF EVALUATION SPECIALISTS MAY SEPARATE THEM FROM THE SOCIAL SCIENTISTS. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS SERIOUS CONSIDERATION AND HAS RELEVANCE FOR GRADUATE TRAINING, THE DIRECTION OF ALL SOCIAL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES, AND PERHAPS THE VERY LIFE OF ACADEMIC SOCIAL SCIENCE. ONE TABLE AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (MJW)