Participatory research and ecological economics for biodiversity conservation in Vanuatu

This note describes in detail how different research methods - such as RRA, PRA, participatory decision making and ecological economics - could be integrated to make the research relevant to the needs of local people, planners and academics. The importance of selecting a particular research method or a combination of methods depending on the specific situation of the research site is highlighted. The actual process involved in conducting the research are explained. Multidisciplinary participatory research can help generate rich findings and may be useful in linking micro-macro planning, the note concludes.