What If We Didn’t Just Ask? Rethinking How We Understand Experience

This month, ACER consultant Dr. Erin Wynands shares some creative methods used in qualitative research, allowing researchers to go beyond the realm of semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The article explores pictorial lifelines, participant observation, and unstructured interviews. These methods can allow researchers to:

• Take a phenomenological approach, exploring lifeworlds and recording experiences as they are lived

• Capture chronology and lived experiences over time, and create openings for comments and interpretation through lifelines

• Bring an additional perspective to their research questions and first hand experience of challenges

Take a read and create some space to reflect on if your qualitative research could benefit from less structure, adding temporal or visual components, or a new approach.

What Are We Reading This Month?

Dairy producers’ perceptions of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 and their influence on implementation of biosecurity changes

Summary: The emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in dairy cattle has presented a major challenge for dairy producers in the USA, who have had to make biosecurity decisions with limited information while balancing evolving guidance, existing beliefs, and farm management constraints. This study aimed to 1) describe dairy producers' perceptions and understanding of HPAI; 2) characterize experiences and perceived impacts among producers affected by HPAI; 3) identify farm characteristics associated with implementation of biosecurity changes in response to HPAI risk; and 4) assess whether perceived biosecurity effectiveness was associated with implementation of biosecurity changes and whether concern about HPAI and perceived farm-level risk helped explain this relationship. The study findings suggest that implementation of biosecurity changes may be supported by trusted communication strategies that emphasize the effectiveness of specific biosecurity practices and present the disease as a relevant but still manageable farm-level threat. These communication strategies can better align producers' perceptions with evidence-supported transmission pathways, particularly modifiable routes such as animal movement, personnel movement, and shared equipment.

Real-World Resources

Podcast Series
The NFACC Conversations Podcast Episode 5: A Seat at the Code Committee Table - Insights from the Sheep Code Update

This episode will take a closer look at the current sheep Code update, as well as unpack the impact and value of Canada’s Codes of Practice. Host Julia Nicoletta is joined by Fred Baker and Dr. Charlotte Winder. Fred is an Ontario sheep producer and represents the Canadian Sheep Federation as Chair of the Sheep Code Committee. Charlotte is a veterinarian, researcher, and faculty member at the Ontario Veterinary College, Department of Veterinary Medicine. She is the Chair of the Sheep Code Scientific Committee and as such is also a Sheep Code Committee member. The series can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or listened to on your browser via Podbean.