Evaluation of the Q-method as a method of public participation in the selection of sustainable development indicators

Doody, Donnacha G.; Kearney, Pamalyn; Barry, John; Moles, Richard; O’Regan, Bernadette

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2008.12.011

Cited by 77 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Although the method is straightforward, the research design and the initial stages of the method are time-consuming and laborious (Frantzi et al, 2009;Guimaraes, 2009). In addition, while Q-methodology has the benefit of providing statistically significant results without requiring a large sample population, a small sample size can also mean that the results cannot be seen as statistically representative of the whole population (Doody et al, 2009). However, while it cannot be used to determine exactly what proportion of the population hold a particular view, Q-methodology provides an accurate reflection of the different perspectives that exist within the population and the differences that exist between stakeholder groups (Urquhart et al, 2012).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stakeholder perceptions of recreational and management impacts on protected coastal dune systems: A comparison of three European countries

Kindermann

Gormally

2013

Land Use Policy

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stakeholder perceptions of recreational and management impacts on protected coastal dune systems: A comparison of three European countries

Kindermann

Gormally

2013

Land Use Policy

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“…A good indicator should reduce the complexity of the assessment of the studied system [48]. In agricultural assessments, for example, the uncertainty of weather and climatic conditions plays an essential role in business performance, adding extra complexity to sustainability assessments when compared with many other types of individual business organisations.…”

Section: The Complexity Of Selecting "Good Indicators"mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Assessment in Wine-Grape Growing in the New World: Economic, Environmental, and Social Indicators for Agricultural Businesses

et al. 2015

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Abstract:Indicators have been used in many sustainability assessment methods, however, disagreements over a common definition and scope for the sustainability concept have led to many distinct assessment methods, which are not often directly comparable. Before developing a sustainability assessment, it is essential to: define sustainability and specify the viewpoint of the assessor, the purpose of the assessment, and the context and time frame of the assessment. This article presents a short list of indicators and a method that can be readily adopted by any agricultural business or region to assess sustainability, making any organization, region or crop qualitatively comparable. These indicators were proposed by 83 top-level executives in 14 group interviews conducted using our adapted nominal group technique (ANGT). Executives were sourced from wine-grape growing organisations from New World wine-producing countries that also owned vineyards, and they considered everyday management practices of farms. These indicators, grouped within three categories (economic, environmental, and social) were ranked by their importance. The method defines OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 8179 qualitative indicators that, in the context of distinct wine regions or crops should be quantified to maintain their relevance and usefulness.

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“…Finally, 40 items are selected in the final Q sample for this study. This number was chosen on the basis of having a sufficient number of items in the Q-sorts so as to reflect the full spectrum of opinions collected from the focus groups, which avoided burdening participants with a prohibitive number of items to sort through [52]. The detailed information of the Q sample is presented in Appendix.…”

Section: Development Of Q Samplementioning

confidence: 99%

Developing More Insights on Sustainable Consumption in China Based on Q Methodology

Han

et al. 2015

Sustainability

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Abstract:Being an important aspect of sustainable development, sustainable consumption has attracted great attention among Chinese politicians and academia, and Chinese governments have established policies that encourage sustainable consumption behaviors. However, unsustainable consumption behavior still remains predominant in China. This paper aims to classify consumers with similar traits, in terms of the characteristics of practicing sustainable consumption, into one group, so that their traits can be clearly understood, to enable governments to establish pointed policies for different groups of consumers. Q methodology, generally used to reveal the subjectivity of human beings involved in any situation, is applied in this paper to classify Chinese consumers based on Q sample design and data collection and analysis. Next, the traits of each group are analyzed in detail and comparison analyses are also conducted to compare the common and differentiating factors among the three groups. The results show that Chinese consumers can be classified into three groups: sustainable (Group 1), potential sustainable (Group 2) and unsustainable consumers (Group 3), according to their values and attitudes towards sustainable consumption. As such, Group 1 cares for the environment and has strong environmental values. They understand sustainable consumption and its functions. Group 2 needs more enlightenments and external stimuli to motivate them to consume sustainably. Group 3 needs to be informed about and educated on sustainable consumption to enable them to change their consumption behavior from unsustainable to sustainable. Suggestions OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 14212 and implications of encouraging each group of consumers to engage in sustainable consumption are also provided.

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Evaluation of the Q-method as a method of public participation in the selection of sustainable development indicators

Cited by 77 publications

References 19 publications

Stakeholder perceptions of recreational and management impacts on protected coastal dune systems: A comparison of three European countries

Stakeholder perceptions of recreational and management impacts on protected coastal dune systems: A comparison of three European countries

Sustainability Assessment in Wine-Grape Growing in the New World: Economic, Environmental, and Social Indicators for Agricultural Businesses

Developing More Insights on Sustainable Consumption in China Based on Q Methodology

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