"Research is 'creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge'."
The potential for research to have positive or negative impacts on the community being studied. Ethical considerations must be made to ensure that the research benefits the community and does not cause harm.
Community: Community refers to a group of people who share common interests, values, and goals. Understanding the concept of community is essential when studying the impact of anthropology on communities.
Anthropology: Anthropology is the scientific study of human societies, cultures, and social behaviors. It involves the study of humans' origins, development, and social, biological, and cultural diversity.
Ethics: Ethics refer to the moral principles that govern behavior. Anthropologists must uphold ethical standards in their research and interactions with communities.
Research Methods: Research methods in anthropology include participant observation, ethnography, surveys, and interviews. Understanding these methods is essential when studying the impact of anthropology on communities.
Cultural relativism: Cultural relativism refers to the notion that all cultures are equal, and that one's values and actions must be understood within the context of their own culture. Anthropologists must practice cultural relativism when studying communities.
Power dynamics: Power dynamics refer to the relationships between individuals or groups in which one has more control and influence than the other. Anthropologists must navigate power dynamics when studying communities and their impact.
Colonialism: Colonialism is the establishment and maintenance of political and economic domination over a group of people by a foreign power or government. Understanding the impacts of colonialism on communities is crucial when studying the impact of anthropology.
Globalization: Globalization refers to the increasing interconnectedness of the world through the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultural practices. Understanding the impact of globalization on communities is essential when studying anthropology.
Social justice: Social justice refers to the fair and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities in society. Anthropologists must strive for social justice in their research and interactions with communities.
Environmental impact: Anthropology also involves the study of the impact of human behavior on the environment. Understanding the environmental impact of communities is crucial when studying the impact of anthropology.
Positive Impact: The research could have a significant positive impact on the community where it is conducted, such as providing valuable information that could lead to improved public policies, medical treatment or better development projects. The research could also lead to better understanding and appreciation of the community's culture and history.
Negative Impact: The research could have a significant negative impact on the community, particularly if the research creates fear or distrust, or if the researcher exploits or harms the participants. Negative outcomes can also occur if the research is used to justify discrimination, stigmatization or social exclusion.
Marginalization: Research conducted on marginalized populations may further isolate them from the larger society, particularly if the research reinforces negative stereotypes, undermines individuals' autonomy or agency, or ignores their diversity and multiple identities.
Power Imbalance: Anthropologists'research interventions can contribute to existing power imbalances by imposing their own research agendas, dictating the research methodologies and objectives, and holding the power and control over research outcomes and dissemination.
Exploitation: Research participants may be exploited, particularly if they are from low-income, vulnerable or neglected communities. This could be due to unequal power relations between the researcher and the participants, inappropriate compensation, or the misuse of the research outcomes.
Anonymity & Confidentiality Issues: Ethical issues also arise when anthropologists need to maintain the anonymity and confidentiality of research participants, particularly if they belong to a sensitive or vulnerable population like refugees, migrants, or human trafficking victims.
Informed Consent: Informed consent from research participants is a fundamental ethical principle in research, particularly if it involves human subjects. The researcher must ensure the participants fully understand the research process, the purpose of the project, the potential risks and benefits involved, and their rights as participants.
Cultural Sensitivity: Anthropologists should be mindful of cultural differences and sensitive to the cultural worldview and context of the community they study. This includes showing respect and sensitivity to cultural norms, values and beliefs, avoiding ethnocentrism, and acknowledging diversity and complexities.
Representation & Misrepresentation: Anthropologists should be careful when representing a community in their research, particularly if the representation is inaccurate, distorted, or biased. Misrepresentations can occur in the research design, data collection instruments, data analysis and interpretation, written reports or oral presentations.
Benefits Sharing: Anthropologists should consider issues of benefit-sharing with the community they study, particularly if the research generates valuable intellectual property, genetic resources or cultural heritage. This includes acknowledging the intellectual and cultural contributions made by the community, providing equitable access and compensation, and respecting legal and ethical norms of the community.
"It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to controlling sources of bias and error."
"A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole."
"The primary purposes of basic research (as opposed to applied research) are documentation, discovery, interpretation, and the research and development (R&D) of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge."
"Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences."
"There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic, economic, social, business, marketing, practitioner research, life, technological, etc."
"The scientific study of research practices is known as meta-research."
"A researcher is a person engaged in conducting research, possibly recognized as an occupation by a formal job title."
"In order to be a social researcher or social scientist, one should have enormous knowledge of subject related to social science that they are specialized in."
"Similarly, in order to be a natural science researcher, the person should have knowledge on field related to natural science (physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, zoology and so on)."
"To test the validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior projects or the project as a whole."
"...the research and development (R&D) of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge."
"It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic."
"It involves a particular attentiveness to controlling sources of bias and error."
"There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic, economic, social, business, marketing, practitioner research, life, technological, etc."
"Research is 'creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge'."
"A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field."
"The primary purposes of basic research (as opposed to applied research) are documentation, discovery, interpretation, and the research and development (R&D) of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge."
"The scientific study of research practices is known as meta-research."
"A researcher is a person engaged in conducting research, possibly recognized as an occupation by a formal job title."