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Journal article
Understanding the role qualitative methods can play in next generation impact assessment
Environmental impact assessment review, Vol.112, 107780
2025
Abstract
Since its inception, impact assessment (IA) has been perceived by many to be a largely technical, quantitative exercise. However, as jurisdictions shift towards a more sustainability-oriented IA that accounts for a wider range of social, cultural, economic, health and well-being, and equity implications of proposed projects and strategic initiatives, values and subjectivity come more to the fore. Making predictions now needs innovative, and rigorous applications of qualitative methods that enable meaningful inclusion of diverse knowledges, values, and information sources, whilst at the same time giving confidence to decision makers and other stakeholders about the evidence base. Adopting such qualitative methods in practice is hindered by a lack of clarity of the role of qualitative methods in the delivery of sustainability-oriented IA. Guided by findings from a thematic analysis of primary data gathered through an international survey supplemented by semi-structured interviews and a workshop, the novel contribution of this paper is to clarify how and why qualitative methods can best contribute to the effective delivery of next generation IA.
Details
- Title
- Understanding the role qualitative methods can play in next generation impact assessment
- Authors/Creators
- Heidi Walker - Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, CanadaAlan Bond - North-West UniversityA. John Sinclair - Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, CanadaAlan P. Diduck - Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, The University of Winnipeg, CanadaJenny Pope - Integral Sustainability, South Fremantle, WA, AustraliaFrancois Retief - North-West UniversityAngus Morrison-Saunders - Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, South Africa
- Publication Details
- Environmental impact assessment review, Vol.112, 107780
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's, Policy Dialogue Program
We would like to acknowledge the effort of the participants in this research and their essential role in helping us to achieve the outcomes that we have. We also wish to acknowledge the support of members of our Best Practices Advisory Committee and our research assistants, who are listed in our final report available at https:// www.canada.ca/cont ent/dam/iaac-acei/documents/research/qualitative-methods-next-gen eration-impact-assessment.pdf. Much of the contents of this paper is drawn from that report. The research was supported through a grant from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's, Policy Dialogue Program.
- Identifiers
- 991005726581907891
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Author(s).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Harry Butler Institute
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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