Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
You need to be sure that they understand the likely outcomes of your research,
and how it may affect them. This applies also in your relationship with local
research collaborators and government officials.
●
It is necessary to
tell the truth
about what your research question is and why
you are carrying out your study. This can be extremely difficult, particularly
when you are researching illegal activity. If it is impossible for you to tell the
full truth, then you need to think carefully about how this might compromise
your integrity, and take advice before you start (for example from an ethics
committee or a professional association).
●
A key tenet of social research is that the researcher should
do no harm
to the
people they are studying. This is usually taken to mean that you should not
upset people by your questioning. But in the case of conservation, the results
of your research may lead to policy action in the pursuit of a social good that
could damage the livelihoods of people you have interviewed (such as pre-
venting ecosystem destruction or species extinction by removing people's
rights to use them). If there is any question that this might be an outcome of
your research, you need to think hard, and take advice on the ethical implica-
tions of what you are doing.
●
Don't do anything illegal
. For example, if hunters are working illicitly inside
a National Park, you should be sure that going out on hunting or gathering
expeditions with them is legal before you do it. Think carefully about the
potential consequences of ignoring this guideline.
●
Don't do anything that may
alter people's behaviour
. For example, paying a
hunter per animal that they allow you to weigh may well increase hunter effort,
with negative consequences for sustainability. Similarly, buying endangered
species in the market can inflate demand. It may be important to check that
quoted prices are the same as purchase prices, but one way to do this would be
to ask people how much they paid after they have bought a piece of meat.
●
In general it is a bad idea to
pay people
other than your official research assis-
tants for information, as this alters the relationship between respondent and
researcher. Small gifts to say thank you for help or hospitality are acceptable,
for example pencils and notebooks for children, or contributing refreshments
when holding a discussion group.
●
Let people know that their answers will be treated
confidentially
, and ensure
that they are. For example, publish summary results only, and use identifying
codes rather than names in databases. Tell people that they have a right to
refuse to participate in your study.
●
It is important that you try to
give something back
to the people you are
working with, rather than simply extracting information. This may be as sim-
ple as ensuring that a summary of your research results is given to the com-
munity head. But it should also include making sure that you acknowledge
inputs by others, make an effort to train local people and include them fully
in your research (and subsequent publications), and leave copies of your
datasets with relevant organisations. Further activities might include advising
