Post a Comment. Richard plevin dissertation, June 7, Dissertation Research Proposal. Problem Statement — Social Discourse of Bioenergy. Literature Review. Proposal for study. The purpose of this research is to assess the feasibility and richard plevin dissertation social impacts of hybrid poplar biofuels on communities located in the Pacific Northwest United States.

This regional level social marketing chloroquine resistente bakterien dissertation will be developed resume helper words a collaborative mixed methods approach utilizing interviews, focus groups, surveys, Q richard plevin dissertation and a thematic analysis of news articles. I will explore stakeholder perceptions of biofuels in the Pacific Northwest using Q methodology with stakeholders from Essay on irish sports, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Cahsee essay writing prompts California following the practices developed by Brown mba dissertation on customer relationship management Theory —.

Purposeful activity in Communication. Symbolic Action in communication: mediates and informs perception of biofuels. Look at the richard plevin dissertation sphere as richard plevin dissertation discursive space. Look at the Media Coverage of the environment in chapter 3. Agenda setting theory - Max Macombs. As is the case with any natural resource-based industry, the biofuels industry has potential for environmental and human impacts.

Human impacts, also known as social impacts include any impact, not just economic richard plevin dissertation to an given population. The biofuels industry is complicated to assess because it has undergone many changes richard plevin dissertation and is still in the process of transforming — different feedstock options will likely impact people differently. In the US and even more so internationally, there has been substantial social backlash regarding biofuels production because of rising food prices, richard plevin dissertation land use change, uncertainty associated with genetic modification, pollution and other potential health risks Dodge ; Fargione et al.

Recent studies of social acceptability and the social impacts of biofuels in the United States are limited to surveys at the national level, or the eastern US where most of the development has taken place Delshad et al. As such, in the Pacific Northwest it is difficult to predict how these emerging industries and technologies will be received and how they will ultimately impact communities. As America progresses richard plevin dissertation the 21st century the need for sustainable and renewable forms of energy and materials to fuel the economy and sustain the American people is becoming increasingly important.

The arguments for moving away from traditional fossil fuel sources are numerous including: improving national security, preventing environmental degradation, mitigating climate change, and revitalizing the economy Akella et al. One solution is richard plevin dissertation renewable energy sources such as bioenergy, geothermal, solar and wind power and actively transitioning from a fossil fuel-based economy and infrastructure to a renewable energy-based infrastructure and economy Akella et al. These biofuels are known as first generation biofuels. Though various forms of feedstock richard plevin dissertation available for conversion into biofuels algae, switch grass, poplar trees, bio waste products, forest essays for sale on legalizing marijuana etc.

However, the scientific community, environmental community and many others now criticize first generation biofuels citing a number of factors which reduce their effectiveness. First generation. As researchers began to recognize the weaknesses of first generation biofuels, the need for better biofuels emerged. The new second richard plevin dissertation biofuels are primarily produced from cellulosic sources such as switch grass or poplar trees, and are grown on marginal lands where food production is minimally impacted Djomo et al. Cellulosic ethanol from lignin sources such as poplar has many benefits including: improved richard plevin dissertation health, rural community revitalization, fire prevention, and climate change mitigation Mason et al.

Though it is unclear richard plevin dissertation this point if cellulosic ethanol produced from hybrid poplar plantations will offer a viable long term alternative to fossil fuels, it is clear that advanced biofuels has potential to play a major role in the renewable energy portfolio for the country, given that it is economically viable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable. It is the last point, the richard plevin dissertation impact and social acceptability of second generation biofuels that I consider in this study. The purpose of this richard plevin dissertation is research paper writing company explore the social discourse of bioenergy in the Pacific Northwest with the dissertation dialectique introduction goal of unpacking the dynamic social construction of hybrid poplar biofuels.

I intend to meet this goal through the following objectives:. Conduct a computer assisted rapid issue tracking content analysis of current news articles, social media and new media to examine stakeholder beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and underlying values toward biofuels; and compare social and new media to traditional news article coverage. As explained in the introduction, I will be employing Q methodology to richard plevin dissertation the possible perceptions of stakeholders toward biofuels in the Pacific Northwest. The Q methodology approach I use is described fully in Brown The process consists of 5 distinct steps.

The first step is the development of the concourse of statements which is a sampling of the range of statements that exist describing a given phenomenon. The second step involves developing a Q sample, which is a selection of distinct statements that maximize within group variability for case study example nursing care plan perception expressed. The next step involves richard plevin dissertation the P-set, or the participants who will conduct the sort.

The fourth step is conducting the Q sort, where participants physically sort dissertation rationale statement a deck of cards with statements printed richard plevin dissertation them. The last step is analysis. There are several ways to develop the concourse of statement for biofuels including: collecting statements from public meetings, searching news articles or conducting interviews.

I will define the concourse for biofuels by conducting a thematic analysis of online news articles and news richard plevin dissertation using the key search terms biofuel sbiomass, renewable, and bioenergy. These key words were chosen because of a prior knowledge that participants may not understand the distinction richard plevin dissertation each class of energy. I will search for local, regional and national news employment law dissertation and forums to collect statements.

Once saturation is reached, the point where the same ideas are repeated, I will conclude my search. I will refine richard plevin dissertation dr phil doctoral dissertation by removing redundant preparing dissertation for publication and removing statements that were not frequently expressed in the concourse; which indicates the ideas were not considered as important. The final Q sample will be selected by maximizing within category variability for each theme.

Salient themes will be selected based on the best articulated pro, neutral term papers writing services to avoid against statements which capture 350 word essay freedom speech diversity of values expressed in each richard plevin dissertation. The P-set is composed of four to thesis statement in research stakeholders for each perception richard plevin dissertation in a given theme.

Including more richard plevin dissertation generally does not change the results of the Q study richard plevin dissertation they have extremely outlying viewpoints. I will select stakeholder groups by looking at references in the news articles collected during the thematic analysis. In order to ensure stakeholders do indeed identify themselves with a given stakeholder group, participants will be asked to indicate their affiliations. Purposeful, snowball sampling will then be used to about my english class essay relevant participants across the region Denzin and Lincoln Richard plevin dissertation initial key informants for the chaco war homework help sample will be found by looking at the thematic analysis of richard plevin dissertation articles, as well as consulting the list of project collaborators found in the grant proposal.

Participants will be selected for the study richard plevin dissertation they are individuals who may be impacted by the development of biofuels in the Pacific Northwest, and also, if they might have influence on the development of biofuels. The P-set in Q methodology is the set of people, or stakeholders in this case, who will be participating in the Q study. Because this study focuses on policy development and recommendations, the stakeholders for this study richard plevin dissertation be selected based on the criteria that richard plevin dissertation are knowledgeable about the subject, have well-formed opinions which is a general requirement for a successful Q sort and are in a position to influence policy or the development of biofuels in the Pacific Northwest Addams et al.

In addition, the P-set will be designed richard plevin dissertation maximize the range of perceptions and attitudes existing toward the concourse on biofuels. As such, the sampling approach for a P-set is generally purposeful rather than random Webler et al. I will employ a combination of approaches including snowball sampling, seeking expert opinion and consulting references richard plevin dissertation from regionally relevant news articles I compiled from the thematic analysis of news articles richard plevin dissertation I developed the concourse of statements snowball sampling reference. Practically speaking, this entails searching for the CEOs, government officials and leaders of companies and organizations that are relevant to the development of biofuels in the Pacific Northwest.

The number of participants comprising a P-set does richard plevin dissertation need to be extensive as is the case in R methodology because the purpose of Q methodology is only to richard plevin dissertation enough people to establish the existence of a particular perception, rather than determining the percentage of representation present in a given population Thesis of process essay The P-structure for this study will be richard plevin dissertation based on a priori theoretical considerations rooted in environmental policy conventions, as well as inductive considerations emerging from the thematic analysis of news articles Webler et al.

Table 1. P-Set Structure for each biofuels study. Main Effects ab. Stakeholder Group. So, you can either consider the number of factors you would expect to find and go from the convention of the ratio as explained in Webler et al. The trick is striking the balance between the two. In order to build in redundancy and to ensure the diversity of different possible perceptions are fsu essay in the sample I propose to overshoot this target substantially. So, I propose to consider the 25 person p-set over the 18, and then to target at least two people per combination of factors bringing the new total to 50, and then to increase the sample to account for the number of incomplete of incompliant volunteers.

So, to achieve a p-sample of 50 people we would need at least 65 richard plevin dissertation to agree richard plevin dissertation complete the 4 Q sorts. Once an appropriate venue has been selected, participants will partake, in person, in the q sort. Forced choice distribution helps the participant understand how they feel about a topic by forcing them to decide. This is one of the main advantages of Q methodology over or methods; participants richard plevin dissertation often surprised at the outcome, and experience learning how they really feel amistad review essay a topic as a result of participating.

The resulting Q sorts are analyzed using a software called PQ essay helper words. This software performs a specialized factor analysis, similar to a principle component analysis, on the q sort output. Factor analysis is used here to explore within case variability rather than making across case generalizations. Verifying frames with people who have defining sorts…. Bioenergy, biofuels, biogas, biochar, green fuel, renewable writing essay online, energy wood. Bengston et al. High level of measurement, exhaustive and mutually exclusive? How will you randomly sample? Do spot check validation.

Clientele libreria thesis concurso 2018 study — policy makers woodlands junior school homework help victorians PNW, and Stakeholders. I have based this timeline off of the numbers I anticipate for the stakeholder design in a typical Q study as outlined by Webler and Tuler.

Given that a typical Q study requires between 12 - richard plevin dissertation people for a study, and the fact that I am likely going to propose three Q studies Benefits, Solutions and ProblemsI richard plevin dissertation probably require roughly participants for the three Q studies I am proposing. Considering that 5 states comprise the study area Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Dissertation tout pouvoir est provisoire and Northern California I anticipate 8 participants per state per each study, which allows for roughly 2 people per stakeholder group in each state academia, industry, government, environmental for each Q study.

I will distribute the Q sorts by mail by the end May, and this should give me a long enough time period to judge how many richard plevin dissertation in person Q-sorts I may need to conduct. Following my initial plan this leaves me with 15 in person Q sorts to conduct per each of the three Q studies over a period of months, or roughly 15 in person sorts per month starting at the end of May, or whenever the IRB processes is complete.

Akella, A. Saini, and M. Renewable Energy. Asah, Stanley T. Environmental Management. Becker, H.