Advances in Qualitative Methods in Environmental Research

Qualitative research methods are essential for examining a wide range of topics in environment and resource management. This first review on the topic synthesizes innovative and impactful research from the past few decades, drawing from social science disciplines such as sociology, geography, anthropology, political science, public policy, and psychology. The review addresses five scientific goals that qualitative methods have helped achieve: (a) describing what the world is like, (b) predicting what the world can be like, (c) acknowledging researcher positionality, reflexivity, and diversifying ways of knowing, (d) integrating imaginaries into empirical research and building narratives, and (e) helping scholars grapple with the deep complexity of socioecological systems.

The review is based on a comprehensive analysis of qualitative research methods applied in environmental studies. It draws from a broad range of social science disciplines and examines foundational qualitative approaches, including interviews, ethnography, case studies, and participatory methods. The authors highlight examples of environmental qualitative research that apply these methods to address the five scientific goals. The methodology involves synthesizing literature and identifying key contributions that demonstrate the value of qualitative approaches in understanding socioecological systems.