Deliberative Q-method: A combined method for understanding the ecological value of urban ecosystem services and disservices

There is a need, in the ecosystem valuation literature to compliment the economic methods with sociocultural valuation methods that capture and facilitate a better understanding nuanced social and cultural values that are difficult to measure. Yet, sociocultural valuation methods are often critiqued for their lack of structured and replicable procedures and for often maintaining limited internal research validity. Accordingly, this paper demonstrates the development and application of a mixed-methods valuation approach to better recognize non-use social and cultural values by integrating the triad of deliberation, local ecological knowledge, and value quantification. We operationalized this method in Amman, Jordan where we analyzed how local experts value, based on their local ecological knowledge, the ecosystem services supplied by the City's urban water features (fountains, ponds, and streams). • We combine the conventional Q-method and focus group to yield a group deliberative Q-method. • The deliberative Q-method facilitates a structured valuation framework. • The deliberative Q-method method produces rich qualitative data. • The rigorous statistical analysis of deliberative Q-method improves internal validity and streamlines qualitative data coding. • The rigorous statistical analysis of deliberative Q-method weighs competing values to better understand polarized and consensus views.