Abstract
Understanding human perspectives is critical in a range of conservation contexts, for example, in overcoming conflicts or developing projects that are acceptable to relevant stakeholders. The Q methodology is a unique semiquantitative technique used to explore human perspectives. It has been applied for decades in other disciplines and recently gained traction in conservation. This paper helps researchers assess when Q is useful for a given conservation question and what its use involves. To do so, we explained the steps necessary to conduct a Q study, from the research design to the interpretation of results. We provided recommendations to minimize biases in conducting a Q study, which can affect mostly when designing the study and collecting the data. We conducted a structured literature review of 52 studies to examine in what empirical conservation contexts Q has been used. Most studies were subnational or national cases, but some also address multinational or global questions. We found that Q has been applied to 4 broad types of conservation goals: addressing conflict, devising management alternatives, understanding policy acceptability, and critically reflecting on the values that implicitly influence research and practice. Through these applications, researchers found hidden views, understood opinions in depth and discovered points of consensus that facilitated unlocking difficult disagreements. The Q methodology has a clear procedure but is also flexible, allowing researchers explore long‐term views, or views about items other than statements, such as landscape images. We also found some inconsistencies in applying and, mainly, in reporting Q studies, whereby it was not possible to fully understand how the research was conducted or why some atypical research decisions had been taken in some studies. Accordingly, we suggest a reporting checklist.
Highlights
It is widely recognized that conservation is a social endeavor, meaning that social research approaches have a critical role to play in conservation science (Teel et al 2018)
We identified four primary differences between Q and other social research methods used for similar purposes
In explicating perspectives that underlie conservation practice and research, Q informs understanding of how the relationship between facts and values is perceived by different groups of people and helps in the development of self-awareness
Summary
It is widely recognized that conservation is a social endeavor, meaning that social research approaches have a critical role to play in conservation science (Teel et al 2018). The interpretation of factors is based on a combination of the item scores, qualitative data (e.g., collected from respondents during the Q-sort), and the researcher’s understanding of the case and of respondent views. Both the z scores and the normalized scores indicate the ranking of items of a shared perspective. In explicating perspectives that underlie conservation practice and research, Q informs understanding of how the relationship between facts and values is perceived by different groups of people and helps in the development of self-awareness These reflections are useful, for example, to clarify discourses about how policies should be shaped or to challenge prevailing assumptions about the existence of strongly positive or negative stances. Q can uncover new unexpected connections among topics, provide common vocabulary (MacDonald et al 2015) that facilitates dialogue, and identify unexpected similarities in the views of seemingly opposing stakeholders
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
