4.4.5 (5) Wrap-Up
In this final portion of the research process during the fieldwork component,
participants were asked for questions of their own either to clarify the research
process, tools or instruments, and the study’s rationale. They had the opportunity to
clarify any confusion or voice any concern. They could also add to their answers at
this point or return to a question or point. Importantly, a final question is whether
they had been previously approached (at any time before) to volunteer as research
participants in other studies. The reason for this question was to assess whether
individual participants, as well as the survey sample, has been overexposed to
studies and, consequently, is considered to be ‘exhausted’.
4.5 Data Analysis
The quantitative results based on the Footprint Calculator (farmers’ surveys)
contained details regarding Earth Overshoot Day – the date on which as much
from nature has been extracted as the Earth can renew the entire year – e.g. July
29, 2019 (https://www.overshootday.org) for all of humanity. It was August
10, 2019 for Costa Rica (refer to Sect. 2.1). Generally, Earth Overshoot Day has
been arriving earlier each year for the world tied to the number of Earths that
humanity requires to support its resource needs and lifestyles (see Fig. 3.6). However, because of the COVID-19 epidemic, this has been reduced to August
22, 2020 most recently for the world (https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/
earth-overshoot-day/). The Global Footprint Network is asking that such a contraction of the Ecological Footprint occur by design rather than disaster.
A vital output for data analysis is the Ecological Footprint itself in global hectares
(gha) – defined as the biologically productive (or ‘bioproductive’) area with world
average productivity that is required to provide what the person consumes. Currently, 1.75 Earths are needed to sustain human consumption (Global Footprint
Network 2020), which is determined by dividing all the planet’s productive area
by the number of its inhabitants. This result can be compared at different scales to the
entire planet, at national level, regionally, and so on – so that a regional comparison
can be made within the study area. By adopting the Footprint Calculator, it is
possible to discern individual–household responses that can be aggregated to the
household–community level (e.g., towns) in the determination of a local–regional
Ecological Footprint (local representing the towns and regional the Alexander
Skutch Biological Corridor).
The qualitative analysis of follow-up (semi-structured) interview content was
transcribed in English onto a summary table (in addition to other tables available
for demographics and the results of the Footprint Calculator, which are available in a
spreadsheet). These results will appear in the next chapter (Chap. 5). This content
was linked to household demographic information attained from participating farms.
62
4 Case Study – Methods
In this final portion of the research process during the fieldwork component,
participants were asked for questions of their own either to clarify the research
process, tools or instruments, and the study’s rationale. They had the opportunity to
clarify any confusion or voice any concern. They could also add to their answers at
this point or return to a question or point. Importantly, a final question is whether
they had been previously approached (at any time before) to volunteer as research
participants in other studies. The reason for this question was to assess whether
individual participants, as well as the survey sample, has been overexposed to
studies and, consequently, is considered to be ‘exhausted’.
4.5 Data Analysis
The quantitative results based on the Footprint Calculator (farmers’ surveys)
contained details regarding Earth Overshoot Day – the date on which as much
from nature has been extracted as the Earth can renew the entire year – e.g. July
29, 2019 (https://www.overshootday.org) for all of humanity. It was August
10, 2019 for Costa Rica (refer to Sect. 2.1). Generally, Earth Overshoot Day has
been arriving earlier each year for the world tied to the number of Earths that
humanity requires to support its resource needs and lifestyles (see Fig. 3.6). However, because of the COVID-19 epidemic, this has been reduced to August
22, 2020 most recently for the world (https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/
earth-overshoot-day/). The Global Footprint Network is asking that such a contraction of the Ecological Footprint occur by design rather than disaster.
A vital output for data analysis is the Ecological Footprint itself in global hectares
(gha) – defined as the biologically productive (or ‘bioproductive’) area with world
average productivity that is required to provide what the person consumes. Currently, 1.75 Earths are needed to sustain human consumption (Global Footprint
Network 2020), which is determined by dividing all the planet’s productive area
by the number of its inhabitants. This result can be compared at different scales to the
entire planet, at national level, regionally, and so on – so that a regional comparison
can be made within the study area. By adopting the Footprint Calculator, it is
possible to discern individual–household responses that can be aggregated to the
household–community level (e.g., towns) in the determination of a local–regional
Ecological Footprint (local representing the towns and regional the Alexander
Skutch Biological Corridor).
The qualitative analysis of follow-up (semi-structured) interview content was
transcribed in English onto a summary table (in addition to other tables available
for demographics and the results of the Footprint Calculator, which are available in a
spreadsheet). These results will appear in the next chapter (Chap. 5). This content
was linked to household demographic information attained from participating farms.
62
4 Case Study – Methods