Form, Formats, and Forms of Informed Consent
This article reflects on the unforeseen dynamics revealed as we presented written consent forms to be signed by our interlocutors during fieldwork in Djibouti and Namibia. Throughout the article we analyse how the consent form (in its legalistic form and format) seemed to instil distrust and suspic...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nordic Africa Research Network
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.njas.fi/njas/article/view/1212 |
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| Summary: | This article reflects on the unforeseen dynamics revealed as we presented written consent forms to be signed by our interlocutors during fieldwork in Djibouti and Namibia. Throughout the article we analyse how the consent form (in its legalistic form and format) seemed to instil distrust and suspicion, instead of its intended purpose of ensuring safety and inclusion. With these accounts we argue that instead of relying on written consent as documentation for ethical conduct, we as ethnographers working on the African continent should be encouraged to explore alternative avenues based on processual negotiations, together with our interlocutors, to ensure that our research is aligned with the moral and ethical values governing our field sites.
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| ISSN: | 1459-9465 |