08-14-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

the principle topic of the interviews before asking questions that require perspective and interpretation of facts. Questions 4 through 10 asked about the informants about: • Their perceptions of trails and the values they bring to a community; • Their concerns about trails and the impacts they may have on a community; • Factors that affect people's use of trails, including barriers that need to be addressed to increase use; • Factors that affect leaders' ability to develop and manage the trail system; • Whether their organizations considered proximity to trails important for their businesses; Whether their organizations had made specific investments because of trails; • The long-term well-being of the region and the relative priority of trails given competing demands for public resources in the region; The last two questions ask informants for any additional thoughts or insights they might like to share and whether they would be willing to participate in a follow-up interview for purposes of clarifying answers. Selection of Informants and the Conduct of the Interviews MORK staff, in consultation with Steering Committee members and the research team, took principal responsibility for identifying key informants and securing their participation in the study. The team sought informants who represent key constituencies in the region that have specific interests in trails (e.g., owners of bicycle shops); interests in values served by trails (e.g., health); and interests in the long-term future of the region (e.g., economic development organizations). Twenty-five individuals were interviewed; the individuals who participated in the interviews are listed in Appendix 2. All interviews were conducted by a research assistant from the University of Minnesota to ensure consistency in administration of the interviews and to facilitate analysis and interpretation of results. Each interview began with introductions and then proceeded systematically through each question. The research assistant requested permission to tape the interview; all participants agreed. In addition to taping responses, the research assistant took notes throughout the interview. The research assistant advised the informants there were no right or wrong answers and that the purpose of the interview was to obtain information to help MORK and others do a better job of working with others in the region to plan and manage greenway trails. The researcher followed the interview guide, but if a respondent answered a forthcoming question as part of another response, the question then was skipped. If respondents were unable to provide an answer to a specific question, the research assistant used pre -defined probes to prompt answers. Respondents were allowed to vary from the topic to ensure all relevant information 41