Land use and cultural relationships with biophysical landscapes can be examined and understood by application of local ethnographic fieldwork. Depending on both monetary resources and group members' availability and time, the findings of detailed, local studies at individual level can be combined with information on group-based deliberative processes. Some details of individual and deliberative methods are described in the following paragraphs:

(i) Participant observation is one type of data collection method typically used in qualitative research. Its aim is to gain a close familiarity with a given social group (e.g. a religious, farmer or other occupational, sub cultural group, or a particular community) and their agro-ecological practices through an intensive involvement with people in their cultural environment, usually over an extended period of time.   

(ii) Semi-structured interviews with key actors: Questions are flexible in the sense that farmer could provide further explanation in case of responses with interesting/useful information. The questions have to be comparable across different zones and local contexts, while also accommodating site-specific differences. To triangulate institution-related data reported by farmers, institution/agency officials can be also interviewed. Communication skills include the ability to clearly structure questions, listen attentively, pause, probe or prompt appropriately, and encourage the interviewee to talk freely.

(iii) Informal dialogues with different actors related to the subject of analysis. Giving careful attention to what is happening, so that it is likely to notice any element to help identify sociospatial relationships with landscapes.

(iv) Participatory mapping: it enables communities to articulate and visualise their relationships toward the biophysical landscape. Hence having better representation of local communities is crucial. People can map out in detail the places of historical and symbolic significance, the resources they depend on, who uses them, how is the access to them, how they manage them, and the role/characteristics/ qualities they attribute to these resources. Governance factors may arise from analysing the exercise of authority or management of resources through institutions, policies, traditions, cultures, and societal norms. It is also important to acknowledge the value of local knowledge. Thus group discussions are likely to elicit different types of knowledge (some from their roles/jobs as farmers, stakeholders, academics, scientists, conservation and landscape professionals, planning officials, community groups/leaders etc.; some through their interests such as environmentalism, aesthetic appreciation, or angling; some from perspective as ethnic group; some from experience of living close to a meaningful place, a river, etc.).