aes26 International Evaluation Conference: Full Schedule

Presenter and chair information page, resources for conference presenters, authors and session chairs.

1:30pm ACST

Building critical thinking into your writing

Friday September 18, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm ACST

Authors: John Guenther, Batchelor Institute, Nicole Tujague, Southern Cross University, Anthea Rutter, Honorary Research Fellow, Jeffery Adams, Eastern Institute of Technology
The editorial team of the Evaluation Journal of Australasia publishes a broad range of evaluation articles covering evaluation practice, theory, and application. One of the issues that regularly arises for reviewers and editors is the depth of thinking expressed in manuscripts. In most cases this concern could be addressed with more critical thinking, particularly in manuscripts that describe evaluation findings, or discuss elements of evaluation practice.

In this interactive session the editorial team will discuss how to write with a more critical approach. This may be of value, not just in writing for journal articles, but in reports, and in framing evaluation recommendations, developing theories of change, logic models and discussing evaluation implications.

We will first discuss what ‘critical thinking’ means from theoretical and practical perspectives, before providing some examples of how writing can be changed from being a largely uncritical and surface level description, towards a deeper critical approach that engages with theory, with existing literature and with logic, judgement and arguments aligned with evaluative thinking.

We will conclude the session with some practical examples that participants can work through together and discuss with the broader group. Our intent is to help evaluators and anyone who writes reports and articles to enrich their writing so that readers can draw conclusions based on evidence, argument, reasoning and logic, while at the same time ensuring clarity and easy reading.

Chair

Dru Armstrong

Evaluation and Impact Manager, Health and Wellbeing Queensland

Much of my work sits in the space of finding practical ways to bring systems thinking, equity and learning into public-sector evaluation while meeting the demand for quantification, attribution and economic value. I love the challenge of evaluating in complexity and initiatives that... Read More →

Speakers

John Guenther

Research Leader, Education and Training, Batchelor Institute

John Guenther is a senior researcher and evaluator with the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, based in Darwin. Much of his work has been based in the field of education. He has worked extensively with community-based researchers in many remote parts of the Northern... Read More →

Nicole Tujague

Senior Lecturer, Southern Cross University

Jeff Adams

Managing Editor, Evaluation Journal of Australasia | Eastern Institute of Technology

I am the Managing Editor of the Evaluation Journal of Australasia - talk to me about publishing in, or reviewing for the journal. I am also Professor of Public Health at the Eastern Institute of Technology, Auckland.

Anthea Rutter

Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne

Anthea Rutter is an Honary Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne. Anthea has extensive experience working with a wide range of community and national organisations. She is particularly knowledgeable and experienced in social research including... Read More →

Friday September 18, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm ACST
Waterfront 1 Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin City NT, Australia

Special

Format Long paper
Audience Level Intermediate, Advanced
Industry Education and training
ID 41