The author discusses the issue of "banality" or thoughtlessness in evaluation work. Many evaluations are done out of a sense of compliance rather than meaningful thought. This can result in evaluations being carried out in a mechanical, mindless way without real consideration of how to apply learning. The author has previously termed this type of evaluation implementation as "mechanistic use", where the motivation is to complete the required task rather than engage in meaningful evaluation.

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E The Evil of Banality: On the Life and Death Importance
of Thinking (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017 B aco
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Michael Quinn Patton,
On the Life and Death Importance of Thinking, American Journal of Evaluation,
2019 Vo. 40(I), 137-146
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aco E B Anything can be
done thoughtlessly B
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M
So much of evaluation is done with a compliance men-
tality, just going through the motions. The banality of
evaluation: thoughtless, mindless compliance. I have called
this mechanistic use (Patton, 2008, p. 108), doing an
evaluation because it is required, so it is done, but the
motivation is compliance and the implementation is
mechanical.
Michael Quinn Patton,
On the Life and Death Importance of Thinking, American Journal of
Evaluation, 2019 Vo. 40(I), 137-146, p.140.

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Unsettling
Unsettling

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Unsettling
F
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D
P On the Life and Death Importance of Thinking,
American Journal of Evaluation, 2019 Vo. 40(I), 137-146 F

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