## 3 Case Study
### Methods and Methodology  
PPGIS was the main tool adopted in this case study to enable the academic team; WRCEA; and other stakeholders, such as local county government and forestry officers, to work together during the processes of monitoring, planning, implementation, and result data analysis. In order to understand how the introduction of PPGIS affects the relationship between stakeholders' participation and refuge governance quality, we adopted a participatory approach in this study and collected field data using qualitative research methods that include participant observation and in-depth interviews. The locations chosen for participant observations in this study are primarily places where stakeholder discussions and debates on the management of Wu-Wei-Kang Wildlife Refuge occur. These include the platform meetings, wetland on-site inspections, wetland deposition meetings, Wildlife Refuge Management Effectiveness Evaluation workshops, the general meetings of members of WRCEA, monitoring results presentations, and review meetings of policies related to the PA. In addition, we also interviewed key informants after these activities to understand their views on these occasions. Furthermore, the interviews conducted in this study were primarily targeting the stakeholders who participated in the community monitoring and platform meetings. The interviewees (informants) include members of WRCEA, community residents, scholars and experts of the wildlife refuge, staff of Luodong Forest District Office, staff of Ilan County Government, and the academic team. The informants, based on their own experiences of participating in PPGIS (including monitoring planning and implementing, monitoring data interpreting, and the negotiation process), expressed their opinions towards the application of PPGIS in the refuge, their acceptance level for the operation of PPGIS, and their recommendations on the possible adjustment of the methods of operation.  
Axial coding is used in this study to conduct coding and to analyze the data from participant observations and interviews according to the concept of governance quality. By cross-checking the results from different informants and/or by different methods, we can confirm the effectiveness of PPGIS in PA. During this study, the privacy of the informants was ensured by a policy of anonymity. From February 2009 to June 2015, 50 participant observations and 25 in-depth interviews were conducted, through which a total of 75 field records were collected (Appendix A Tables A1 and A2).  
Figure 4: The research framework to explore how Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS) influences the governance quality of this refuge.  
Based on the above information collected during fieldwork, this study identified the following themes around which to discuss the application of PPGIS to assess governance quality in the Wu-Wei-Kang Wildlife Refuge: 1. promote inclusiveness (for local stakeholders); 2. create respect (for lay knowledge); 3. enhance competence (the transparency of information distribution and decision-making); 4. define the management visions and scopes; 5. create accountability (shared rights and liabilities); and 6. develop equity (establishment of equitable partnerships) in terms of governance quality.