Developing a Typology of Biodiversity Offsets Using an Internet and Expert Based Approach: Methods and Materials

Abstract

Despite their increasing recognition in selected public discourses, biodiversity offsets remain a highly specific subject in expert circles in various locations worldwide. However, these circles are increasingly connected and exchanging, in particular using information and communication technologies online. Therefore, an expert and Internet based research approach was chosen for this study. It follows a netnographic approach in terms of an “offering strategy” to start an interaction and to engage others in a research process. For this purpose, the “Biodiversity Offsets Blog” was created. It served as a content management system to store, structure, and comment information, and it provided the base for a personal learning network, together with exploratory qualified Internet research using the Google search engine as well as chosen social network sites (LinkedIn, ResearchGate, and Twitter) and online curation services (Scoop.it).

In research practice, the process of typification often follows simplified methodologies or is implicitly carried out (intuitive types). By contrast, this study explicitly reflects the process of how types are built. Building on the method of empirically grounded typification, this study consists of an extensive theoretical analysis of voluntariness and biodiversity offsets. This is empirically underlined by two consecutive steps: (1) a screening of potential biodiversity offsets cases and (after grouping these cases to the built types) and (2) illustrative case studies for each of the built types. Due to the exploratory nature of the study, both the screening and the choice of illustrative case studies built on maximum variation, i.e., a spatially and functionally diverse set of cases.