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AbstractEnvironmental governance outcomes hinge on the design and implementation of management decisions. Yet, available research methodologies can be limited in their ability to capture the complexity of decision-making and implementation processes and in turn predict and explain environmental governance outcomes. We present participatory process mapping as a method for examining the pathways that emerge and evolve over time that result in natural resource management decisions and on-the-ground outcomes, as perceived by participants in collaborative processes. The approach leverages a large-N comparative design, participatory diagraming within semi-structured interviews, and mental modeling toward a method that can fit into both quantitative and qualitative research designs and analysis. The method is highly flexible, offering a pathway toward capturing causal relationships while also enabling incorporation of diverse elements and relationships. Natural resource management is nonlinear and is shaped by diverse social-ecological elements, and process mapping diagrams elicited through this method reflect that reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]