Ethical dilemmas in professional practice in anthropology

Policy - environment - development

Links

This page lists other useful links and resources. It is laid out as a list which includes information about the type of document, its title and where to access it.

Click here for the main ASA ethics pages

Other resources

The ethics and politics of anthropological fieldwork are of perennial concern, and there are now a useful set of resources to help in teaching these subjects. A key concern in the literature has been to explore the implications of stronger institutional review procedures for undergraduate ethnographic research projects and postgraduate research.

Details of reference: Report
Title: Guidelines for good practice
Date/edition: (1999)
Author(s): Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK
Web reference: www.theasa.org/ethics.htm

Description and comment: Revised version of the ethics code first adopted by the ASA in 1987
Key words: Ethics, code of practice

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Details of reference: Report
Title: Briefing Papers on Common Dilemmas Faced by Anthropologists Conducting Research in Field Situations
Author(s): American Anthropological Association Committee on Ethics
Web reference: http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/bp.htm

Description and comment: these briefing papers were prepared in the light of the debate within the profession over Patrick Tierney's accusations in 'Darkness in El Dorado'. They provide a valuable set of resources for discussion.
Key words: ethics, informed consent, confidentiality

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Details of reference: Web Resource
Title: Handbook on Ethical Issues in Anthropology
(A special publication of the American Anthropological Association, Number 23)
Author(s): Cassell, Joan and Jacobs, Sue-Ellen (eds)
Publisher/distributor: American Anthropological Association
Web reference: www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/toc.htm

Description and comment: this web-based resource has a number of useful ideas and resources for teaching about ethical issues within anthropology.
Key words: ethics, case-studies, informed consent

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Details of reference: Book
Title: The ethics of anthropology: debates and dilemmas
Date/edition: 2003
Author(s): Pat Caplan
Publisher/distributor: Routledge
ISBN: 0-415-29643-9

Description and comment: an edited volume with a useful set of research case-studies for teaching and debate.
Key words: research ethics, anthropological ethics, teaching ethics

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Details of reference: Journal Article
Title: "Effective ethics and the effects of ethics". Special issues of Anthropology in Action: Journal for applied anthropology in policy and practice Vol 9, No 3
Date/edition: 2003
Author(s): Simpson, Bob and Coleman, Simon (eds)
Publisher/distributor: University of Hull
Web reference: http://journals.berghahnbooks.com/aia/

Description and comment: a special issue of Anthropology in Action with a number of articles discussing the dilemmas raised by undergraduate research projects. This journal has a number of such resources, and regularly has articles on teaching anthropology.
Key words: ethics, undergraduate research, teaching ethics