Ferreira Research Seminar
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Access, power and adaptation:Researching the emergence of markets for biodiversity
offsets
Dr Carlos Ferreira
Methods and Ethics Seminar
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Outline
Biodiversity offsets
Researching market emergence
Context
Approach
Constraints
Ethical approval process
Adapting methods
Boundaries and questions
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Biodiversity Offsets
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Biodiversity offsets?
Biodiversity offsetting is a measure that essentially permits developments thatsacrifice the conservation values of one area in return for improved conservation
values of another.
Like it or not, biodiversity offsetting is part of our future
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Objectives
1. To correct negative impacts of development
and consumption;
2. To improve companies social license tooperate, managing reputation and assuring
stakeholders (ten Kate & Inbar 2008);
3. To re-organise the relationship between society,the economy and nature (Ferreira 2013).
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Markets for Biodiversity Offsets
Biodiversity offsets may be bought from thirdparties;
Acceptable offsets include: Compensation areas, close to the developed area;
Specifically created biodiversity banks;
Land management activities;
No Net Loss of Biodiversity(ten Kate et al. 2004;BBOP 2012)
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No Net Loss of Biodiversity
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Researching market emergence
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Research Context
PhD Project;
Financed by the Sustainable Consumption
Institute (University of Manchester);
Project started on the Department of Economics
Ontological, epistemological, methodological issues
Project concluded on the Business School
Strong ANT component to the approach
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Approach
Think of markets as forms of governance;
Research processes involved in emergence ofmarkets
not on market schedule or economic efficiency;
Look for possible causes of those processes
Agents;
Geographies; Technologies.
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Three research foci
Case
studies
Agents
TechnologiesGeographies
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Ethical approval process
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Why ethical approval matters
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The ethical approval process
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Best Practice
Highlights issues surrounding: Integrity in analysis/presentation of results;
Avoidance of harm to all involved;
Confidentiality, anonymity & data protection;
Independence of researchers, conflicts of interest.
Candidates must: Demonstrate a clear research plan;
Understand potential problems and pitfalls;
Indicate strategies to mitigate problems;
Collect appropriate and proportionate information.
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Adapting Methods
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An a-typical set of obstacles
Very small network of agents
Potential number of interviewees is very small
Secondary and Primary data come from samesources
Report authors and promoters are the same;
All interviewees belong to elite groups
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Interviewing elites: challenges
Elites
Power
TimeAccess
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No interviewees, no PhD
Biodiversity Offsets: over-researched given their actual
impact
Research often very critical;
Social science research not the natural academic fit for
potential interviewees No incentive in taking part;
Geographical spread of sample vs research budget.
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Bad sample, bad data
Majority of agents ignored/refused invitations to
participate
Problems with theoretical saturation.
Time/location constraints Most interviews in VOIP.
Self-censoring participants Lack of non-verbal cues may have been involved.
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Adapting
Participant-as-observer ethnographic observation(Gold 1958)
Researcher to go to workshops on the topic;
Public presentations and informal conversations withrelevant agents.
No ethical approval was sought for the newstrategy
Time and cost concerns.
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Getting on with it
About 40% of the total material comes fromethnographic observation;
Participant-as-observer riven with ethicalchallenges (Bryman & Bell 2007);
Supervisors supported the decision
Not sure about ethical implications
PhD successfully completed, no questionsabout methodology!
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Boundaries and questions
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Approval is only the beginning
The strength of the ethical approval process is its
instituted character: Rules-based;
Clear boundaries & procedures;
Binds researchers to best practice.
That is also its main weakness: Research throws up difficult questions;
Participants do not follow the ethical script;
Limited room for adaptation.
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Expect the unexpected?
No amount of ethical forms can cover all possibilities
Obligation to demonstrate parsimony in data collected vscapacity to adapt
Beyond a legalistic approach, sense & sensibility have a
role in academic research
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Fieldwork: 3 mottos
1. No plan survives contact with the enemyHelmuth von Moltke the Elder
2. If youre going through hell, keep goingWinston Churchill
3. Always look on the bright side of lifeMonty Python
Addendum
4. Always buy volcano insuranceAnonymous, c.2010
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Thank you!
Any questions?
carlos.ferreira@coventry.ac.uk
@FerreiraCEM
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