Hi everyone,

My post is not about tech really, but about ethics in general.

I am Phyllis Masudi, a PhD candidate at Wageningen University and Research. I am from Kenya. I am currently working on a Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) funded project that is focused on identifying the health risks associated with illegal wild meat trade in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, a rapidly urbanizing city region in Sub-Saharan Africa. About a year ago, I conducted a field work exercise that entailed extensive key informant interviews aimed at mapping an illegal urban wild meat value chain to understand its operations, actors involved, governance as well as actors’ practices and perceptions that predisposes them to infections from wild animals and wild meat. Prior to and during this process, I had to seek several research ethical approvals, and permits to ensure this was a success, and most importantly, ethical. This was important as consumptive wild animal use in Kenya is illegal, thus our sample population was considered a vulnerable population. Engaging them in the study could also mean unintentionally exposing them to the authorities. 

My experience with this was that despite it being a worthy process, it was still a time-consuming process, that involved several offices, mostly government. I understand that it can, at times, be difficult bringing government bodies on board when doing research, a factor that is mostly attributed to the misalignment between government and individual research priorities; sometimes mostly influenced by a country’s political environment. However, I was able to get all my permits. In the process, I learned how important, but tedious, the ethical process towards doing a study involving an illegal practice could be.

Through this post, I was hoping to learn more about other people’s experiences with regards to meeting the ideal ethical requirements when conducting research involving sensitive topics/illegal practices in conservation. 

Have you conducted a study focused on conservation that involved people and you considered it very sensitive for some reason? Could you share your experiences, or any materials published from it? Did you have a special methodological approach to protect your sample population, in this case humans?

You can reach me via email [email protected] or [email protected]