Conduct of Traditional Knowledge Research— A REFERENCE GUIDE PETER ARMITAGE AND STEPHEN KILBURN Conduct of Traditional Knowledge Research— A Reference Guide Wildlife Management Advisory Council North Slope • Whitehorse, Yukon 2015 Conduct of Traditional Knowledge Research—A Reference Guide © 2015 Peter Armitage, Stephen Kilburn, and Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. CANADIAN CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA Main entry under title: Conduct of Traditional Knowledge Research—A Reference Guide ISBN 978-0-9880009-3-3 The statements, views, and opinions contained on these pages are those of the authors and do not Cite as: Armitage, Peter and Stephen Kilburn. 2015. Conduct of Traditional Knowledge Research—A Reference Guide. Whitehorse [YT]: Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope). Set in Concourse Published by Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) P.O. Box 31539, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 6K8 www.wmacns.ca Contents Foreward ................................................................vii Terms and Abbreviations ............................................ ix Introduction ........................................................... xi 1 Solid Foundations .................................................. 1 1.1 Research scope, constraints, goal, and objectives ............................................................1 1.2 The research team .......................................................................................................2 1.2.1 Role of the PI ................................................................................................................ 5 1.2.2 Training and supervising community co-researchers ........................................................... 6 1.3 Systematic research designs and practices ......................................................................6 1.4 Access to good background materials ............................................................................7 1.5 Commitment to data quality standards ..........................................................................8 1.6 Community engagement and culture of research ..........................................................10 2 Basics ................................................................. 15 2.1 Choosing appropriate research methods ......................................................................15 2.1.1 Strengths and weaknesses of structured, semi-structured, and semi-directive interviews ...... 15 2.1.2 Concerns about quantitative analysis of TK data ............................................................. 17 2.1.3 Strengths and weaknesses of focus groups ...................................................................... 19 2.1.4 Formal eliciting procedures ........................................................................................... 20 2.2 Spatial and non-spatial aspects of TK ..........................................................................21 2.3 Assumptions concerning spatial knowledge ..................................................................22 2.4 Language and worldview ............................................................................................24 2.4.1 Interpretation and translation ....................................................................................... 26 2.5 Sampling ..................................................................................................................29 2.6 The data collection manual .........................................................................................34 2.7 Methodology pre-testing ...........................................................................................35 3 Study Execution ................................................... 37 3.1 Interview timing ........................................................................................................37 | iii 3.2 Interview space .........................................................................................................39 3.3 Interview equipment and considerations ......................................................................40 3.3.1 Writing implements ..................................................................................................... 40 3.3.2 Audio recording ........................................................................................................... 40 3.4 Interview execution specifics.......................................................................................41 3.5 Managing interview products during fieldwork .............................................................42 3.6 Qualitative attributes of mapped information ..............................................................43 3.7 Method of remuneration ............................................................................................44 4 Spatial Knowledge Documentation ......................... 45 4.1 Linking studies, spatial data creation, and outputs .........................................................46 4.2 Base mapping and base data .......................................................................................47 4.2.1 Choice of map scale for research .................................................................................. 47 4.2.2 Mixed map scales ........................................................................................................ 48 4.2.3 Projection and datum ................................................................................................... 49 4.2.4 Map series and coverage of study area ........................................................................... 50 4.2.5 Base features ............................................................................................................... 50 4.2.6 Registration points ....................................................................................................... 51 4.2.7 Place-names (toponyms) .............................................................................................. 52 4.2.8 Metadata .................................................................................................................... 52 4.2.9 Printing maps .............................................................................................................. 53 4.3 Data-marking conventions ..........................................................................................53 4.4 Creating geospatial data from paper maps ...................................................................54 4.4.1 Choosing mapping software ......................................................................................... 54 4.4.2 Spatial database design ............................................................................................... 55 4.4.3 Creating map images (“scanning”) ................................................................................ 56 4.4.4 Georeferencing ........................................................................................................... 57 4.4.5 Digitizing and checking quality ...................................................................................... 58 4.5 Creating TK spatial data using GPS .............................................................................59 4.6 Using direct-to-digital methods for recording spatial TK ................................................59 4.6.1 Preventing the technology from dictating the study methods ............................................ 60 4.6.2 Map scale considerations .............................................................................................. 61 iv | Contents 4.6.3 Image quality considerations and cartographic symbolization ........................................... 62 4.6.4 Projection and datum considerations .............................................................................. 62 4.6.5 Base feature considerations ........................................................................................... 63 4.6.6 Data recording and quality control ................................................................................. 64 4.6.7 Metadata .................................................................................................................... 65 4.6.8 Protecting information and creating an enduring record ................................................... 65 4.6.9 Facilitating good interview rapport ................................................................................ 66 5 Post-Study Data Management ................................. 69 5.1 Management protocols and procedures........................................................................69 5.1.1 Material tracking ......................................................................................................... 69 5.1.2 Confidentiality ............................................................................................................ 70 5.2 Storage and handling of research materials ..................................................................71 5.2.1 Paper documents ......................................................................................................... 71 5.2.2 Maps .........................................................................................................................