The Benchmark Setting of Citizens’ Water Literacy Based on Mixed Research Methods

Abstract

Given the contradictory changes in the new period of water management, conceptual adjustments and new requirements, especially in areas with abundant water resources, such as coastal areas, the awareness of water scarcity is relatively shallow. This study proposes positioning and principles for the benchmark setting of citizens’ water literacy. First, this study uses grounded theory to conduct qualitative research and utilizes NVivo 12.0 qualitative research software to encode the original material in the three steps of open coding, spindle coding and selective coding. Second, using factor analysis to conduct quantitative research, a rotation model is constructed with the qualitative research results to ascertain the benchmark index system. Finally, the results obtained from the above two research methods are integrated into a benchmark for citizens’ water literacy consisting of 4 dimensions, 11 fields, 22 benchmarks and 100 datum points, it is expected to provide a certain reference for the development of related policies in coastal areas and even the entire Chinese region.