Beyond the Algorithm: Riders as Geographical Actors in the City

This article, and the collection of essays it introduces, discusses the development and use of participatory mapping (PM) in Latin America. The methodology, with roots in participant observation and collaborative research, represents the fullest involvement of local people who are trained to do research or applied work with the researcher, facilitator, or team. PM transforms cognitive spatial knowledge into map and descriptive forms. Two types exist: one type, including participatory action research mapping (PARM) and participatory rural appraisal mapping (PRAM), uses mapping for social action; the other, participatory research mapping (PRM), aims at research. The PM approach developed among geographers and anthropologists studying indigenous populations in Latin America. The articles in the collection detail five different PM projects working with about 20 different indigenous populations, living in some of the region’s most important conservation lands in Mosquitia, Veraguas, Darien, and western Amazonia. The projects show how PM has become a “keystone activity” in a wide range of research and development work. This novel methodology for collecting geographic information is helping to meet a variety of research and societal needs. Indeed, the superior results from some applications challenge even the most deeply rooted norms about the construction of cartographic knowledge.

Tenure conflicts in forest areas are long-standing structural issues in various regions of Indonesia, including Popayato Sub-district in Gorontalo Province. These conflicts arise from overlapping land claims between local communities, companies, and the state, directly affecting the socio-economic and ecological conditions of surrounding populations. This study aims to analyze the social and environmental impacts of tenure conflicts in Popayato's forest areas and assess the roles of stakeholders in seeking sustainable solutions. A qualitative case study approach was applied through in-depth interviews, field observations, and thematic analysis. Findings reveal that communities face restricted access to productive land and forest resources, disrupting livelihoods and local cultural sustainability. Ecologically, tenure disputes have triggered illegal land clearing and significant forest degradation. Local governments have made mediation efforts, yet face challenges in coordination and policy inconsistency. Civil society organizations play a crucial role in advocating community rights through participatory mapping and the promotion of legal recognition via social forestry schemes. This study recommends resolving tenure conflicts through collaborative approaches that uphold principles of social and ecological justice, including strengthening local institutions, participatory boundary mapping, and developing inclusive conservation-based business models. In doing so, sustainable forest management can be achieved by recognizing local rights and enhancing community participation in decision-making processes.

This study describes the process of participation of the indigenous people of the Asmat group of Pomar Sirau in participatory mapping and analyzes their participation rate based on the Arnstein Degree of Participation. Using a qualitative approach with a case study method, data was collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and document studies. The results of the study show that community participation takes place through several stages, starting from community awareness of threats to customary lands, community initiatives in voicing problems, to active involvement in mapping customary territories. Based on the Arnstein Degree of Participation, community participation is at the level of "Citizen Power," where they have full control over the mapping and decision-making process related to indigenous territories. This study confirms that participatory mapping is an important instrument in the protection of customary rights and cultural identity of indigenous peoples. It is hoped that there will be policy support, community capacity building, collaboration with various parties, and knowledge regeneration to ensure the protection and sustainability of the rights and culture of the indigenous people of Asmat.

AIMSHuman–tiger conflict (HTC) is a serious public health issue in Sundarban Reserve Forest, India. HTC is a continued concern for the significant mortality and morbidity of both human and tiger population. This is the first comprehensive report on Sundarban tiger–human conflicts and its impact on widows whose husbands were killed by tigers. The study attempts to explore the situation analysis of HTC and the aftermath of the incident including bereavement and coping, the cultural stigma related to being killed by a tiger and the consequent discrimination, deprivation, and social rejection, and the impact on the mental health of the tiger-widows.METHODSThis is a three-phase ethnographic research with a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. In the first phase, a door-to-door village survey (3,084 households) was carried out in two villages of Sundarban, which are adjacent to the Reserve Forest, in which the incidents of human–animal conflicts and the 65 tiger-widows identified were documented. In the second phase, the 65 tiger-widows were studied to explore the ecodemography of tiger attacks and tiger-widows alongside the stigma issue by using a stigma questionnaire (n = 49). The stigma burden was compared with normal widows (n = 21) and snake-bite widows (n = 18). In the third phase, the psychosocial and cultural dimensions related to tiger attacks were studied by using in-depth interviews (IDI) of the tiger-widows, focus-group discussions (FGD), and participatory mapping in the community. Clinical examinations of the mental health of the widows were also carried out in this phase.RESULTSThe mean age of the 65 widows was 43.49 ± 9.58 years. Of this, 12.3% of the widows had remarried and only 4.6% of the widows were literate. In all, 67.2% of all tiger attacks occurred as a result of illegal forest entry. The main livelihood of the former husbands of the widows were 43.8% wood cutting, 28.1% fishing, 10.9% crab catching, 9.4% tiger prawn seed (juvenile prawn), and 4.7% honey collection. The maximum number of attacks took place in the months of December (24.6%) and November (13.9%). The majority of incidences happened during the morning hours (47.7%) of the day. Of the cases, 86.1% were attacked while the person was engaged in livelihood activity. In all, 57.4% widows are recorded as living “below the poverty line”. Currently, 45.5% widows earn their living by laboring work followed by forest-based livelihood activities (30%) and begging (5.2%). Tiger-widows differed significantly (P < 0.001) from both normal and snake-bite widows on all stigma cluster scores and the total score. Of the tiger-widows, 44% were shown to be suffering from some designated mental illness. IDIs and FGDs helped to unfold the cultural construct of stigma related to tiger-killing. This can be seen in how the tiger-widows’ quality of life has been negatively impacted in the way their economic and social security, health, remarriage opportunities, and child upbringing is restricted, along with a multitude of posttrauma psychological scars, deprivation, abuse, and exploitation.CONCLUSIONSThe study highlights the multitude of sufferings experienced by the tiger-widows including the issues of the gender aspect of HTC and the ecopsychiatric risk factors of tiger attacks combined with the background of local sociocultural beliefs and practices. It is well known that a similar problem also exists in Bangladesh Sundarban as well, in which case it may be that a strong and practical administrative strategy for sustainable alternative income generation and a balanced conservation policy with integrated participatory forest management may go to save both human and tiger. A community ecocultural mental health program involving all the stakeholders (community, gram panchayat, and forest department) and aiming to address and even eradicate the cultural stigma of tiger attack may help to reduce the stigma burden and socicultural discrimination currently experienced by the tiger-widows.

IntroductionDuring the most recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Uganda, a cluster of community deaths with epidemiological linkages to the first reported case were identified to have occurred in...

Background: Food security is a critical issue in South Papua, where socio- cultural and environmental factors demand locally tailored policies. This study explores the transformation of food security policy evaluation through a multi- stakeholder approach involving indigenous communities, local governments, the private sector, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The approach integrates diverse perspectives and innovative strategies to enhance policy relevance, sustainability, and effectiveness. Methods: This research employs a qualitative case study method, using data from in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), participatory observations, and document analysis. Stakeholders provided insights into local challenges and policy implementation. Participatory mapping and data analytics further enhanced evaluation accuracy and depth, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of diverse perspectives on food security policies. Results: Stakeholder collaboration improves policy relevance by integrating indigenous knowledge into resource management, promoting accountability, transparency, and responsiveness. Technology tools like participatory mapping enhanced evaluation accuracy. However, challenges such as coordination inefficiencies and limited access to technology hinder optimal policy implementation. Conclusion: The multi-stakeholder approach effectively transforms food security policy evaluation in South Papua, making it more relevant and sustainable. Addressing coordination challenges and investing in infrastructure are crucial for overcoming persistent barriers.

Qualitative geographic information systems (qual-GIS) incorporates nonquantitative data into GIS, integrates qualitative data collection and analysis with quantitative spatial analysis facilitated by GIS, adopts epistemologies typically associated with qualitative research, or a combination of these. Qual-GIS is simultaneously represented as a spatially oriented organizer of qualitative data, a mixed-methods research approach, and an open-ended style of knowledge making. Qual-GIS emerged as a response to criticisms that GIS is rigidly embedded in positivist epistemologies. In the 1990s, GIS supporters and critics debated the implications of GIS on society (see the separate Oxford Bibliographies in Geography article “Geographic Information Science”). The National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) organized a series of meetings to bring GIS practitioners and social geographers together to address this debate. In 1993, these specialists met in Friday Harbor, Washington, and developed a research agenda to better understand the implications of GIS on society. This meeting resulted in a series of publications, including a 1995 special issue of Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (“GIS and Society: Towards a Research Agenda”; see Sheppard 1995, cited under GIS Critiques), with research papers and essays that focused on GIS ethics, technocracy, practices, and politics. A companion book edited by John Pickles titled Ground Truth: The Social Implications of Geographic Information Systems (see Pickles 1995, cited under GIS Critiques) provided a more theoretical critique of spatial technologies. NCGIA also held a specialist meeting in 1996 about Initiative 19, titled “GIS and Society: The Social Implications of How People, Space, and Environment Are Represented in GIS,” to further develop this research agenda (see Harris and Weiner 1996, cited under GIS Critiques). With these works as a beginning, progressively more researchers acknowledged GIS as socially constructed, and qual-GIS emerged as an alternative. Politics of knowledge production with GIS were especially significant given the technology’s use in community planning. Researchers and practitioners began to more widely promote the general public’s participation in the development and use of GIS (see the separate Oxford Bibliographies in Geography article “Public Participation GIS, Participatory GIS, and Participatory Mapping”). Incorporating local and indigenous knowledges into GIS has become a popular research agenda. Some human geographers, seeking to reconfigure what they consider a positivist and exclusive technology, advance a version of GIS with a critical edge that analyzes subjective rather than objective data, recognizes partiality of knowledge, and promotes alternative geographies (e.g., critical, feminist, queer, affective, and nonrepresentational GIS). Relevant qual-GIS case studies include projects that organize and subsequently visualize qualitative and subjective data. Qual-GIS could contain multimedia (e.g., images, audio, and video), ethnographic (e.g., narrative text about human experiences, perceptions, and emotions; maps sketched by participants), and historical (e.g., past events, temporal changes) data; however, considerable limitations exist regarding their cartographic representation. Qualitative data collection methods (e.g., in-depth interviews, oral life histories, participant observations, surveys, and sketch mapping) are joined parallel with GIS analysis and visualization but are performed as separate steps. Triangulation validates data sets and results by using multiple and mixed methods. Researchers have advanced the capabilities of existing GIS software to also perform qualitative data analysis. Qual-GIS is used in the humanities as well (e.g., historical GIS, narrative GIS). The topics in this article represent the disciplinary trajectories and debates that led to or influenced qual-GIS, and primary ways that qual-GIS is understood by its applicants.

Qualitative studies are gaining their credibility after a period of being misinterpreted as "not being quantitative." Qualitative method is a broad umbrella term for research methodologies that describe and explain individuals' experiences, behaviors, interactions, and social contexts. In-depth interview, focus groups, and participant observation are among the qualitative methods of inquiry commonly used in psychiatry. Researchers measure the frequency of occurring events using quantitative methods; however, qualitative methods provide a broader understanding and a more thorough reasoning behind the event. Hence, it is considered to be of special importance in psychiatry. Besides hypothesis generation in earlier phases of the research, qualitative methods can be employed in questionnaire design, diagnostic criteria establishment, feasibility studies, as well as studies of attitude and beliefs. Animal models are another area that qualitative methods can be employed, especially when naturalistic observation of animal behavior is important. However, since qualitative results can be researcher's own view, they need to be statistically confirmed, quantitative methods. The tendency to combine both qualitative and quantitative methods as complementary methods has emerged over recent years. By applying both methods of research, scientists can take advantage of interpretative characteristics of qualitative methods as well as experimental dimensions of quantitative methods.

The Peruvian Andes are among the world’s most important centers of origin for genetic diversity of crops and plants. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) was domesticated in the Bolivian and Peruvian Andean region around Lake Titicaca. In situ conservation systems for quinoa germplasm and its wild relatives can still be found in the traditional systems of Peruvian farming communities. Quinoa crop wild relatives (CWRs), like the majority of CWRs of other agricultural species, are being affected by the considerable changes in the natural landscapes of the Andes. This article analyzes the presence and distribution of seven quinoa CWRs at the agroecosystem level and considers the social and environmental Andean contexts in which they are found. A qualitative research method based on participatory mapping in six local communities of the Puno region in Peru was applied to establish the presence and distribution of the species. We present the results that were confirmed with local actors on participatory GIS maps. Based on our analyses, we conclude that conservation programs should consider both permanent native meadows and cultivated land with their fallow cycles and plot borders. The diversity of the presence of quinoa CWRs is one result of the coexistence of these two land uses.

&lt;div class="WordSection1"&gt;&lt;p&gt;I am honored for being an alumnus of KEMC, and am delighted to write this editorial for the Annals. I have, ever since done my research and taught qualitative methods, felt that clinical methods are quite akin to qualitative research. Then, why only few clinical researchers use qualitative methods? A witness to this assumption is the research published in the Annals. In this treatise, I try to identify some parallels between the two types of methods and argue for the clinicians to invest in learning qualitative research methods to practice clinical methods well.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Qualitative research is to identify and interpret issues from the perspective of participants, their experience of: illness or disability, using health service, and to appreciate the meanings they give to the behaviour, events or objects in the context of their social and cultural norms. In this type of research, the emphasis is on exploring the associations and understanding the phenomenon in its holism; and not, like in quantitative research, from an outsider’s perspective and for certain specific aspects.&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; It requires participants with specific characteristics, selected purposely that can best inform the research topic. More participants, identified inductively during data collection, are added to develop full and multiple perspectives about the cases.&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; No preset data collection tool is used, instead qualitative researcher guided by a research question acts as an instrument, since the line of enquiry he changes during data collection as new understanding is gained and/or the situation changes.&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; The data for research is derived from the observation, interviews or verbal interactions, focus group discussions, document reviews, life histories etc. and the researcher asks why, how and under what circumstances things occur; and not just what, where and when. It is recorded in words or pictures and log book is used to record notes arising from interviews, observations, extracts from documents etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; In health care settings patients are the subjects for clinical methods. The clinician, even prior to any verbal communication, observes the patient, e.g. for his gait and appearance. If in a bed or examination couch, his posture could give some clue to the illness. Inspection, a clinical method, is like systematic observation, which is qualitative method, should be holistic. In my third year during bedside teaching, Professor (late) Rashid Ahmed Qureshi said, &lt;em&gt;“patient has come to you as a whole and not his stomach in a tray”&lt;/em&gt;, when a student straight went to examine abdomen of a patient with acute abdomen. History taking, another clinical method, is like conducting semi structured in depth interview – a qualitative research method. In both disciplines, we are told, &lt;em&gt;“not to ask leading, but follow up and probing questions”; &lt;/em&gt;and Professor (late) Alamgir Khan, while teaching clinical methods, would add, &lt;em&gt;“if a good history is taken, you will establish diagnosis in over 65% of cases”. &lt;/em&gt;Likewise, as part of history taking, documents related to patient’s illness history and treatment are reviewed similar to document review in qualitative research.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The two approaches however differ in how the data is analysed. In clinical practice, diagnosis is established based on the pathophysiological knowledge or patient’s clinical condition is discussed in clinicopathological conference.&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; On the other hand, qualitative research employs meaning based data analysis, whereby the qualitative data is transformed into some form of explanation, understanding or interpretation of people and situation that is investigated.&lt;sup&gt;5,6&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; In conclusion, the history, the observation and the review of document related to patient are since obtainned using qualitative methods, the clinician trained in these methods could not only conduct these methods well but also interpret the data to identify and detect obstacles to the change in clinical condition and the reasons why improvement does or does not occur.&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt; Finally, while it is heartening that research forums are organised in the institutions affiliated with KEMU, in order the research is richer, the researchers’ skills in qualitative research methods should be built.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Mapping an alternative community river: The case of the Ciliwung

Is the widespread use of urban land for cycling promotion policies cost effective? A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the case of Seville

In this study, we bring together participatory mapping and analysis of geolocated social media content from the Flickr platform in an assessment of similarities and differences in their utility for landscape value elicitation. We do so in a Pan-European context comparing types of landscape values and their spatial patterns across 19 case sites in 11 European countries. Across these sites, we find great variety in volume, types and spatial patterns of landscape values elicited from participatory mapping by local people and opportunistic use of tags and image locations crowdsourced from Flickr. Most agreement in spatial patterns across the two data sets are found in densely populated landscapes; however, comparison of types of perceived landscape values is challenged by the differing assumptions of each value elicitation technique. We argue for the complementary potential of both approaches and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of using the two together in landscape research, planning and management. An integrated approach is likely to increase the inclusiveness of landscape value assessments.

En esta investigación se estudian los discursos y prácticas relacionados con la salud mental en la ciudad de Sevilla observando la influencia de estos sobre el bienestar psicológico de sujetos con trastornos bipolar y depresión. No sólo se trata de visibilizar un fenómeno de gran importancia de cara al futuro sanitario, sino que se hace desde una perspectiva diferente, una perspectiva social. Frente a enfoques hegemónicamente biologicistas en el abordaje de la salud, la visión de las ciencias sociales puede enriquecer notablemente el conocimiento respecto al tema tratado, generando oportunidades difíciles de ver desde otras posiciones. Se emplea una metodología cualitativa que pone en evidencia la variabilidad discursiva de cara al fenómeno estudiado, así como la influencia positiva del apoyo social sobre el bienestar psicológico de sujetos con trastornos mentales.

This study aims to measure community participation in persons with severe mental illness (SMI) in Toronto, Ontario and outlines a methodological approach for understanding the dimensions of community participation. A mixed methods approach was used to define activity spaces through participatory mapping and a qualitative survey interview for participants (N = 31), selected through a stratified purposeful sampling strategy. Five neighbourhoods in Toronto were sampled in an attempt to obtain an ethnically diverse sample. Participants were interviewed over the study period and asked to draw maps indicating places that constituted their community. A qualitative interview was also administered to understand participants' perceptions of their communities. Point locations from the mapping exercise were used to measure and construct activity spaces using a mean circle approach; outlying locations were simultaneously recorded. Observed spatial patterns were then analyzed alongside the findings of the qualitative interviews. There were no observed relationships between the number of locations reported by participants and the resultant activity space or outlier count. There were no quantitative relationships between activity space size and perceptions of community by participants. However, qualitative data revealed that a number of underlying factors (mental health status and associated stigma; relationships with friends and family; cultural background; income; and neighbourhood safety) influenced participants' activity spaces. These results highlight the ways that community participation is influenced by an interplay of determinants, all of which have implications for service delivery and population-level interventions. They also point to the importance of mixed methods approaches in spatial analysis.