Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
or constructive:
The map does not (probably because I did not provide you with) information about
the distribution of our education programs to teachers throughout the Valley. Also, in
2006, we invested in radio advertising throughout the year on a number of stations which
are broadcast throughout the regions (and state). Also, the online [proprietary education
program] was successful with participants throughout the region. Respondent 3
while others challenged the merit of the economic proxy:
I'm not sure how you'd determine the economic expense per person for the entire popula-
tion when it comes to paid advertising or an unpaid news story. These are VERY effective
education tools to reach adults but I'm not sure your method of representing them is an
accurate way to do it. Respondent 4
and validity of the underlying data:
... direct comparisons between the cities shouldn't be made because we all have such
different budgets [constraints] and various service area characteristics to work with.
Overall, I think it would be very helpful if you better defined what you're calling a program,
an adult education program, and a school education program. Like I said before, I'm not so
sure the programs from each study participant are being compared equally. Respondent 12
The challenges mounted by the water information providers indicated that the
data in its initial form was not acceptable to some participants. As concerns were
began to be discussed with those who had participated in the map validation
process, it became clear that water information providers, especially those working
in the municipal water sector, had been discussing the maps informally. Through
these networks, they uncovered several differences in the way they had interpreted
my request to know more about their information programs. It also became clear
that the study had used terms to describe water information programs that had very
specific (and different) connotations for the respondents. For example, the study
used the term “information kiosk” to describe a place where members of the public
could get pamphlets or other printed materials to take away. Some of the water
educators demonstrably insisted there were no information kiosks as part of their
information campaigns. It was only after more time was spent talking that it was
realized that they defined kiosks as stations for the public to interact with human
and/or technological resources.
Through the correspondence following the map evaluation, it appeared that
many of the concerns water information providers had regarding the project could
best be addressed though a group meeting. In the meeting, we discussed the origin
of the project and its goals and had hoped that an explanation of how the research
contributed to science and a collaborative approach to assuring the data better met
the goals of science and the stakeholders would help the water information
providers who felt most poorly represented and most threatened by the potential
uses of the information to continue their involvement. Before the meeting, a new
map was created for each organization based on information following the first map
check. All 39 organizations in the initial data frame were invited, regardless of
whether or not he had participated in the interviews, regardless of whether or not
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