The core of evaluation: Evaluative thinking

This AEA365 blog by Tom Grayson provides a list of quotes from notable evaluation colleagues about the importance of evaluative thinking.

The blog argues that evaluators "must recognize that evaluative thinking is at the core of evaluation practice". A list of quotes is provided each of which express the authors' thoughts on what evaluative thinking is about. For example:

“Learning how to think evaluatively is learning how to learn and think critically… rigorous evaluative thinking combines critical thinking, creative thinking, inferential thinking, and practical thinking.”

Michael Patton

This resource is a useful and thought-provoking piece that includes a number of useful links to articles on the topic of evaluative thinking. For ease of access, we've provided links below in the Related Resources section to the list of publications referenced in the blog.

Sources

Grayson, T. (2018). The core of evaluation: Evaluative Thinking. AEA365. https://aea365.org/blog/the-core-of-evaluation-evaluative-thinking-by-tom-grayson/

Articles listed in this blog: