In recent years, one of the ambitions of the ABv has been to encourage debate and discussion on the ethics of anthropological research. One way to achieve this has been to organize sessions devoted to ethics, data management and scholarly integrity at our yearly meetings.
In the face of mounting pressure on the scientific community to conform to institutional regulations concerning research integrity and data management, the ABv found it important to make available a brief and transparent set of ethical guidelines to the anthropological community. The purpose of these guidelines is threefold. First, these guidelines will help anthropologists in thinking through ethical problems in their research practices. Second, publishing this document will further the discussion on research ethics within the anthropological profession. Third, the guidelines explain to non-anthropologists the deeply ethical considerations that form the foundation of every anthropological research project.
The ABv wishes to thank Martijn Koster (Radboud University) who wrote a first draft of the Ethical Guidelines and the other contributing members of the ABv Werkgroep Ethiek & Integriteit, Yvon van der Pijl (Utrecht University), Elisabet Rasch (Wageningen University & Research), Vincent de Rooij (University of Amsterdam), and Peter Versteeg (VU Amsterdam), as well as members of the Board of the ABv who commented on different versions of this document.
Alongside the ABv Ethical Guidelines we also publish, and by doing so endorse, Guidelines for Anthropological Research: Data Management, Ethics and Integrity. This text by Martijn de Koning (University of Amsterdam & Radboud University), Birgit Meyer (Utrecht University), Annelies Moors (University of Amsterdam), and Peter Pels (Leiden University) works in tandem with the ABv Ethical Guidelines. It also provides guidelines to anthropologists and it helps audiences consisting of non-anthropologists understand how anthropological research differs from research in other scientific disciplines and what consequences this has for data management, research integrity and ethics.
Publications
Ethnography, de Koning, M., Meyer, B., Moors, A., & Pels, P. (2019). Guidelines for anthropological research: Data management, ethics and integrity. Ethnography. Download
Moors, A. (2019). The trouble with transparency: Reconnecting ethics, integrity, epistemology and power. Ethnography. Download