CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH STRATEGY: APPROACHES AND METHODS
3.3. Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection
Combining successfully qualitative and quantitative data has become the main challenge for multi- and inter-disciplinary researches, especially in social sciences such as Development Studies or Geography (Hakim 2000; Miller and Brewer 2003; Madsen and Adriansen 2004). This research employs both quantitative methods –mainly the implementation of a survey questionnaire, with qualitative and participatory research tools14. The purpose of adopting a multi-methods approach is based on the need for understanding, rather than measuring the causal relations between land reform and access to natural resources. A multi-methods approach is useful for unveiling and illustrating the complex relations around local access to land-based resources.
As stated in Chapter 2, access to natural resources involves a wide array of social actors and stakeholders that participate in the distribution of benefits. When it comes to the analysis of activities regarding land-based resources in Mexico it was necessary to consider the viewpoints and actions of the stakeholders and social actors involved. Furthermore, in order to achieve a more accurate understanding of the implications of the land reform in Mexico and the implementation of land policies over access to land-based resources, it was necessary to identify key informants that could provide the means for approaching not only social actors at all administrative levels (federal, state, municipal and community) but also on a wide array of issues that required both qualitative and quantitative insights. Table 3.1 shows the selection of respondents according to their relation with the variables included in the research questions designed.
14 The particular methods used in this research are explained in sections 3.4 (qualitative) and 3.5 (quantitative). For a complete list of the PRA methods, see Ellis et al, 2001 and Chambers, 2007.
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Table 3.1 Research questions and selection of respondents.
Research Question Research land policies from the different government agencies were interviewed during the fieldwork. Due to the difficulty on setting up meetings with policy makers and government agencies‟ representatives as well as identifying other respondents, snowballing was important for obtaining resources and further information and interviews at the different government agencies involved. The use of semi-structured interviews was the main research technique applied with government agencies and representatives. The insights provided by these interviews were
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essential for complementing the secondary data about research variables such as land reform and the design and implementation of land policies.
Community-based fieldwork activities were carried out during 10 months (October 2008-July 2009). The original strategy for accessing the community was to introduce myself with the local authorities. Given the collaboration with the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM), the community‟s leaders accepted me into the village to the extent that in one of the general community assemblies they allowed me to introduce myself and explain briefly the aim of the research and to make the community aware of my presence. Even though access to the community was achieved after several visits, I was still identified as an outsider. Distrust and lack of familiarity was evident during the firsts weeks spent on the research site; this situation implied a difficulty when trying to obtain critical information about access to land-based resources from the agrarian community.
Being offered a place to stay in a room available for the teachers of the local primary school, I soon realized the school did not have a fourth grade teacher. I offered to act as a substitute teacher until the actual teacher arrived. Once the actual teacher arrived to the primary school, I kept in close contact with the primary school by giving English classes for the last grade students as preparation for their examination to get into the secondary school. During the two months as a substitute teacher and during the rest of the year giving English lessons, my positionality as an outsider researcher changed dramatically. Key informants that previously showed indifference and lack of cooperation, started to play a more active role in facilitating information and participating on the group discussions and focus groups. Although snowballing kept being important to select specific respondents, community members in general were cooperative and helpful; a change that was rapidly noticed in the quality of information collected.
In terms of research ethics, although there was familiarity with me as a researcher, before the application of any given research technique, the participants were informed about the general objectives of the research as well as the specific aims of the research technique to be applied. It was clearly stated that the management
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of information would remain anonymous during all the process of data analysis, interpretation and writing up of results, and that it was for the exclusive use of the study within the boundaries of the research design. During the months of community-based fieldwork, I did not raise expectations related with the research objectives. During any interaction with community members, it was made explicit that the aims of the research were not intended to change in any way either internal aspects of the community, or its relation with external entities (mainly government agencies). The classes provided for the students of the primary school were the only contribution that I left to the community as a gesture of reciprocity and gratitude.
Obtaining complementary information about access to resources and the productive strategies of the villagers required the elicitation of quantitative data based on the design and implementation of a survey questionnaire. Considering that eliciting quantitative data at the household level could be sensitive to the respondents, the survey questionnaire was applied at the later stages of fieldwork.
The trust and familiarity earned during the first months of fieldwork, allowed a more reliable and meaningful elicitation of qualitative data at the community level, while the most sensitive and specific quantitative household data was collected in the last stages of fieldwork. The combined analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data implied the use of a wide array of research techniques aiming to collect data from different sources and respondents. Figure 3.1 shows the fieldwork stages and research techniques applied.
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Figure 3.1. Fieldwork and research techniques applied
Source: Self-elaboration based on the research techniques applied during the fieldwork stage (Sept.
2008-Jul.2009)
As shown in Figure 3.1, a combination of methodological tools was required to obtain information about the variables included in the research questions (See table 3.1). Hence, more general insights about the implementation of land reform and land policies were achieved through semi-structured interviews with State representatives and government agencies –research question 1. Data regarding access to land-based resources and control over other productive resources at the community level was achieved through a combination of participatory strategies (transects, focus groups and discussions) –research question 2; and insights about access mechanisms at the household level were obtained by the application of a survey questionnaire at the later stages of fieldwork –research question 3.
According to Simon (2008:705), “the combination [of methodological tools] can be complementary in the sense of facilitating a wider range of data analysis strategies, helping to integrate different scales of analysis more effectively and to facilitate critical examination of some of the implicit assumptions of the policies around natural resource management”. Moreover, other dimensions of specific research issues that are not well captured with certain empirical methods (such as
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surveys and other quantitative techniques) need to be triangulated with discursive methods, in order to add validity to the analysis.
Accordingly, the methodology relies on triangulation not to double-check the data gathered, but to add validity and deepness to the analysis of information and to link both the qualitative analysis and the quantitative description, always in harmony with the analytical framework defined. Table 3.2 summarises the links between the analytical categories of the research (as defined in Chapter 2), and the variables and type of data required for achieving the empirical analysis proposed.
It also provides the indicators of each concept included in the analytical framework. These indicators are the measures by which each concept was empirically analysed.
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Table 3.2 Linking analytical framework and methodology
Analytical
land-based resources Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7,8
Distribution of land based
resources Q1 -Transects 5
Area cultivated by crop Q2 -Survey questionnaire 5
Use of forest products Q2 -Survey questionnaire 6
Perception of farming as a
profitable activity Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7
Income from land-based
resources Q2 -Survey questionnaire 6
Income from communal
land resource use Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7
council membership Q2 -Survey questionnaire 5 Property rights
Household’s head council
membership Q2 -Survey questionnaire 5,6
Land transactions Q2 -Survey questionnaire 5
Authority
according to sex Q2 -Survey questionnaire 6 Interpersonal
relations
Access to agricultural plots Q2 -Survey questionnaire 6
Division of agricultural
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Remittances Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7
Financial assets
migrants Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7
Total income
distribution Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7
Non-agricultural income
sources Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7
Livestock activities Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7
Labour
Households head main
occupation Q2 -Survey questionnaire 7
Type of labour available Q1 -Focus groups 6,7
technological assets Q1 -Focus groups 6,7
Provision of technology
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The main aim of Table 3.2 is to connect the conceptual discussion of access included in the analytical framework in Chapter 2 with the empirical analysis of the following chapters. The analysis of specific indicators frames each analytical category, and furthermore, it has a close relation with the variables expressed in the research questions (See Table 3.1). Some indicators provide insights that are relevant for the analysis included in different chapters. This situation responds to the structure of the thesis, which follows the order of the analytical framework proposed rather than devoting each empirical chapter to an individual research question. In order to answer the research questions in a more holistic way, the analysis of some indicators is triangulated to provide complementary insights about the analytical categories designed. The following subsections describe more in detail each research technique applied and the relevance for the study of access to land-based resources in the context of land reform in Mexico.