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A guide to qualitative attribution methods for evaluation in conservation.
Jennifer Zavaleta Cheek1,2, Johanna Eklund3, Nikolas Merten2,4
1Department of Natural Resources, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, USA.
Summary
Understanding conservation effectiveness is crucial. This study guides the use of qualitative attribution methods to better understand how and why conservation interventions succeed in improving biodiversity outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Conservation Science
- Biodiversity Studies
- Environmental Management
Background:
- Establishing the effectiveness of conservation interventions is vital for biodiversity outcomes.
- Experimental methods offer causal inference but have limitations in explaining context-dependent success.
- Qualitative attribution methods are underutilized in conservation impact evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a guide to five qualitative attribution methods for conservation impact evaluation.
- To illustrate the application of these methods using a case study.
- To advance understanding of what works, where, and why in biodiversity conservation.
Main Methods:
- Contribution analysis
- Process tracing
- Realist evaluation
- Qualitative comparative analysis
- Most significant change
Main Results:
- The article defines and introduces five qualitative attribution methods.
- Case study application demonstrates the utility of these methods in Namibia's community conservancies.
- Qualitative methods offer deeper insights into the causal mechanisms and contextual factors of conservation success.
Conclusions:
- Qualitative attribution methods can significantly enhance the evaluation of conservation interventions.
- These methods provide crucial insights into the 'how' and 'why' of conservation effectiveness.
- Integrating qualitative approaches is essential for robust biodiversity conservation planning and implementation.
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