The uptake of wildlife research in Botswana: a study of productive interactions
| dc.contributor.advisor | Boshoff, Nelius | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Morrison, Monica Sue | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-02-16T19:10:01Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-04-21T14:36:28Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-02-16T19:10:01Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-04-21T14:36:28Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study set out to identify and understand whether research carried out in or about Botswana has been focused on producing useful and used work in the area of wildlife and related natural resources, with a view to improving the management of these resources. The study investigated this by examining the interactions of researchers and stakeholders engaged in the management, conservation and use of wildlife resources in northern Botswana.This work draws on the idea that broader societal impact of research can be estimated by following interactions of researchers with potential users of their research throughout the research process.This approach, based on the idea of productive interactions, acknowledges the difficulty of attributing the uptake, use, and impacts of research findings, and moves the focus of investigation from outcomes at the end point of investigation to all the stages and processes of research. Interactions of researchers with potential users of the research -its stakeholders -increase the likelihood of research findings being put to use. In the thesis, this process is viewed through the concept of an extended community of practice that demonstrates mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and shared repertoire.The study used a mixed methods case study approach including literature review, surveys of principal investigators working under Government of Botswana permits and audience members of a public outreach event, interviews, analysis of document content and bibliographic records, and ad hoc participant observation to establish patterns of interaction among researchers and stakeholders working in northern Botswana, and to investigate perceptions of research use.The study found that the northern Botswana's research community of practice consists of a strong core of researchers based in academic institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who interact with more loosely connected members of the private sector and several levels of government, and with local community members. Findings included that researchers who engage with non-academic stakeholders outside the inner core of this community of practice at early stages, and throughout the research process, are more likely to see their research applied. Their success also appears to be linked to their commitment to working longer-term in northern Botswana, which allows for more, and deeper, interactions with stakeholders. Findings of this study point to validation of the concept of productive interactions in a local community of practice, with effects that extend beyond Botswana and southern Africa. While productive interactions are already taking place in this community, many of them brokered by NGOs, increased deliberate incorporation of the productive interactions approach into the practice of government managers, researchers, and the tourism private sector is likely to increase the relevance, awareness, and uptake of the resulting findings, and to build trust and understanding among research stakeholders. + | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op navorsing wat in of oor Botswana gedoen is, spesifiek navorsing op die gebied van wildleween verwante natuurlike hulpbronne. Die studie het probeerbepaal of sodanige navorsing gerig is op die skep van bruikbare en gebruikte werk ten eindehulpbronbestuur te verbeter. ’nFokuspunt van die studie is die interaksie tussen navorsers en belanghebbendes wat betrokke is by die bestuur, bewaring en gebruik van natuurlike hulpbronne in die noorde van Botswana.Die uitgangspunt van die studie is dat die breër impak van navorsing in die samelewing verstaan kan word deur die interaksies tussen navorsers en die potensiële gebruikers van navorsing tydens die navorsingsproses te volg. Hierdie benadering is gebaseer op die idee van produktiewe interaksies, wat die attribusie-uitdaging in studies rakende die opname(uptake), gebruik en impak van navorsingsbevindinge omseil, deur die fokus te verskuifvanaf uitkomste aan die eindpunt van navorsingna al die stadiums en prosesse van navorsing.Interaksies tussen navorsers en die potensiële gebruikers van navorsing –die belanghebbendes –verhoog die waarskynlikheid dat die navorsingsbevindinge gebruik sal word. In die proefskrif word hierdie proses beskou aan die hand van die konsep van ’n uitgebreide praktykgemeenskap wat elemente van onderlinge betrokkenheid, gesamentlike onderneming en gedeelde repertorium toon.Die studie het ’n gemengde-metode, gevallestudiebenadering gevolg, wat ’nliteratuuroorsigbehels het sowel asopnames (van projekleiers wat navorsingpermitte onder dieBotswana-regering verkry het,en van deelnemers aan’n openbare uitreikgeleentheid), onderhoude, ontledingsvan dokumentinhoud en bibliografiese rekords, en ad hocdeelnemerswaarneming. Die doel was om interaksiepatrone tussen navorsers en belanghebbendes wat in Botswana werk te identifiseer, en om ersepsies oor navorsingsgebruik te ondersoek.Die ondersoek het bevind dat die navorsingsgemeenskap in die noorde van Botswana ’n sterk kern van navorsers behelswat in akademiese instellings en nie-regeringsorganisasies gebaseer is, en wat met die minder geskakelde ledevan die private sektor,verskeie regeringsvlakke en die plaaslike gemeenskap omgaan. Bevindinge dui ook daaropdat navorsers wat vroeg in die navorsingsproses betrokke is by nie-akademiese belanghebbendes buite die kern van die praktykgemeenskap, senavorsing meer geneig is om toegepas te word. Dit blyk of hul sukses in hierdie verband ook gekoppel is aan hul verbintenis om langer in die noorde van Botswana te werk, wat meer en dieper interaksie met belanghebbendes moontlik maak. Bevindinge van hierdie studie dui op die validering van die konsep van produktiewe interaksies in ’n plaaslike praktykgemeenskap, met effekte wat verder strek as Botswana en Suid-Afrika. Alhoewel produktiewe interaksies reeds in hierdie gemeenskap plaasvind(baie daarvanbemiddel deur nie-regeringsorganisasies), saldie doelbewuste inkorporering van die produktiewe interaksiebenadering in die praktyk van regeringsbestuurders, navorsers en die toerisme-private sektor waarskynlik die relevansie, bewustheid en opname(uptake)van navorsingsresultate verhoog, en ook vertroue en begrip onder die navorsingsbelanghebbendes bou. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Doctoral | |
| dc.format.extent | xxii, 494 pages : illustrations | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110015 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Wildlife conservation -- Botswana | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Wildlife research -- Licenses -- Botswana | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Biodiversity conservation -- Botswana | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Environmental policy -- Botswana | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Human beings -- Effect of environment on | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.title | The uptake of wildlife research in Botswana: a study of productive interactions | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |