3.9 Scope of Data Analysis
The data from the interviews, discussions and questionnaire survey were coded. Coding data simply means systematically reorganizing the raw data into a format that is readable to machine for the purpose of analysis (Neuman, 2006). The coded data were then analysed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS Ver. 16). Different groups in a community or stakeholders may have different interests in ecotourism and conservation. There is also the likelihood to have different perceptions of the contributions of ecotourism to socio‐cultural and economic well‐being of the people. Hence, the analysis identified the differences among the different communities and groups.
Attitude and perception data were collected using 5‐point scale statements. A scale adds together a person’s score on a number of different variables to arrive at an overall score on a broader concept (de Vaus, 2002). The reliability of a scale according to Pallant (2006) can vary depending on the sample that it is used with. Hence, it becomes necessary to check whether each scale used is reliable with a particular sample. In order to obtain overall attitudes and perceptions of the respondents on the attitude and perception scales, responses of each of the statements were re‐coded as binary responses to reflect positive or negative attitudes. These were then subjected to binary logistic
57 | P a g e regression analysis using community and respondent characteristics as the explanatory variables (Landau and Everitt, 2004; Pallant, 2006) to assess the correlation among the attitudinal and perception variables. Further, cross tabulations were also used to assess the relationships between various variables under investigation.
A Strengths‐Weaknesses‐Opportunities‐Threats (SWOT) analysis was also performed based on both the primary and secondary data collected during the field study. The SWOT factors that were produced were used in performing an external Threats (T) and Opportunities (O), and an internal Strengths (S) and Weaknesses (W) analysis, called the TOWS analysis to produce the TOWS strategies for management planning. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was subsequently applied to priorities the TOWS strategies. Details of these analyses and processes are provided in the respective chapters.
58 | P a g e 3.10 References
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60 | P a g e Chapter Four. The Protected Area System of Ghana and the Study Area