1. Katrin Prager James Hutton Institute
Generating actionable knowledge through a transdisciplinary process: the pros and cons of visual research methods
Katrin Prager
James Hutton Institute
ESRS conference Krakow July 2017

2. Challenge Maintaining cultural landscapes in areas with marginal land
Management activities no longer economically viable
E.g. permanent semi-natural grassland in upland regions
Conservation designation not sufficient; active management (grazing) needed

3. Project objectives
TransGRASS project
Bring together knowledge of different stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes (ecological, economic and social sustainability)
How can co-production of actionable knowledge about common grazings be facilitated through the use of visual methods (mobile video ethnography, touch table)?
Critical reflection on the influence of visual technology research, process, participants and outcomes
2 year project

4. Case study
Common grazings on Trotternish Ridge on Isle of Skye, Western Scotland

5. Case study
Various designations: Special Area of Conservation, Natura 2000; Site of Special Scientific Interest
Scottish Natural Heritage aim to “work with the owner to protect the site and maintain and (…) enhance its features”
Crofters using the common grazings struggle to maintain livestock grazing, demographic change, policy framework unconducive to their support livelihoods

6. Types of knowledge
local –generalised novice – expert knowledge tacit – implicit – explicit knowledge traditional – local – scientific informal – formal ways of generating knowledge
Ecological site monitoring/ survey
Interviews and mobile video ethnography (MVE)
Stakeholder workshops
Filming
ecological survey documented scientific ecological knowledge. Key informant interviews and mobile video ethnography (MVE) were used to capture stakeholder knowledge and provide input for video elicitation at a workshop. Stakeholder workshops were organised to bring different knowledges together.

7. Visual methods
Conceptualised as boundary objects (Star and Griesemer 1989)
Used as tool for surfacing diverse understanding, interpretation and assumptions
Aspiration to provide a platform that facilitates exchange of knowledge and learning among stakeholders, and co-production of knowledge

8. Visual methods
Technology: minicam (gopro), regular video camera, audio recording, touchtable map with embedded photos from the ecological survey
Outputs:
site condition assessment (ecological survey)
footage filmed by farmers and researchers
edited video clips for use in workshop setting
a film on issues surrounding common grazings management

9. Findings Challenges of technology (wind noise, rain, shaky…)
Tensions between film-making and research
Inclusion/ exclusion of stakeholders (unfamiliar with technology, uncomfortable, impracticable, time constraints)
Tensions between film-making and research: what questions are asked, how they are addressed, what can/ cannot be filmed and hence ‘highlighted’ to participants and stakeholders beyond project; temptation to structure research to suit needs of technology
Inclusion/ exclusion of stakeholders : many of the concerns also hold for ‘traditional’ empirical social research methods, but could easily be magnified through visual methods

10. Findings
Negotiation process (building trust, balance giving and taking, access to crofters, access to data/ information, power expressed through withholding)
Visual methods take extra effort and time – may not be justifiable or available. Similar results achievable through interviews and workshops
New relationships built and gap between land managers and policy staff reduced
stakeholders gained insights; re-thinking triggered; some knowledge co-produced

11. Thank you Co-researchers: Katrina Brown & Petra Lackova More info
SEGS blog:

12. Social Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS)
Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes (SEFARI)
Social Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS)
SEFARI is a collective of Institutes that work together to deliver unique and globally distinctive multi-disciplinary research