Methods
Qualitative Research
I'm a qualitative researcher who uses semi-structured interviews and participant observations to understand how groups work with one another. Whether through participating in fence pulls, playing in community jam sessions, or riding across grasslands with conservation practitioners, I collect and analyze data to explore how relationships, values, and everyday practices shape rural landscapes.
Net Mapping
As part of my fieldwork, I conducted participatory net mapping with community stakeholders—including producers, NGO staff, and government employees—to explore collaborative networks. Through follow-up interviews, we mapped social ties and discussed the dynamics shaping these relationships.
Social Network Analysis
I use social network analysis to identify patterns of collaboration in conservation, tracking how resources circulate, pinpointing key brokers in the network, and identifying which individuals and organizations wield the most power and influence to shape the region's conservation priorities.
Public Financial Records
With Loka Ashwood, Madeleine Fairbairn, and Kathryn de Master, I conducted the first study of its kind to investigate corporate landownership by linking county-level tax parcel data with Nexis Public Records information, including ownership addresses and creditor relationships. Our findings revealed major reliability issues in tax parcel data, which often obscured corporate ownership.
