Q-methodology to identify perspectives regarding policy update of CSS knowledge

Full description

Aim

To collectively produce narratives on the different perspectives that exist on a topic of interest, for the coordination of the knowledge coalition or for transformative actions planning.

Who to involve

Policy makers or key stakeholders whose perspectives are of interest.

Further materials

Specific expertise to prepare and implement a q-methodology

For organisers

• Capacity to produce a sample of statements that represent different perceptions on the subject (i.e. policy use of citizen-driven data), either from a systematic literature review or from previous interviews with key stakeholders.
• A meeting place for interviews and workshops.
• Printed cards for each statement and printed q-sort grid to organise statements.
• Optional. Voice recorder

Capacity to produce and interpret q-factor analysis

For participants

• General knowledge about the subject under study (e.g. citizen science)
• Willingness and possibility to share their honest opinions

Document: Actis, Arza & Cané, CoAct D5.4 POLICY BRIEF on Environmental Justice. Citizen Social Science for Sanitation Policy in Matanza-Riachuelo Basin. Zenodo (to be available)

Step-by-Step

• Production of a sample of statements representing general perspectives on a topic of interest (literature reviews or with direct quotes from interviews).
• Identification and selection of participants as diverse as possible.
• Contact participants for interviews.
• Q-sorting interviews: participants organise statements according to disagreement and agreement with them in a pre-defined grid representing a normal distribution (few statements in tails (i.e. strongly disagreed or agreed) and many in the middle (mild disagreement and agreement and neutrality) and discuss their criteria for the ordering.
• Statistical analysis: inverted-factor analysis is performed on the q-sorts to identify different perceptions. The factors are interpreted in their commonalities and differences to translate them “narrative social perspectives”, informed by the qualitative data from interviews.
• Collective discussion on social perspectives in workshops

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policy workshop 8