Ethics in Primatology

Joanna M. Setchell

doi:10.1017/9781108368513.003

2 - Ethics in Primatology

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 September 2019

Joanna M. Setchell

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Joanna M. Setchell: Affiliation:
Durham University

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Summary

It is our ethical duty to consider the possible consequences of our work and mitigate any risks, such that we avoid harm to the welfare and interests of our study animals, human participants, the environment, and the people we work with and alongside. We must also consider the effects of our research on our discipline and wider society. Reflecting on ethical dilemmas and weighing the positive and negative impacts of a project are essential to make informed decisions when planning a project and throughout a study. This can include the decision not to conduct a particular study, or to terminate it earlier than planned. In this chapter, I cover legal requirements and permits, then address the ethics of working with primates in captivity and the wild, specimen collection and working human participants. I then outline our ethical responsibilities to the natural environment, the people we work with, and the people we work alongside. I then highlight the importance of reflecting on our use of social media and the power of images, and end with our obligations to report and disseminate our findings.

Keywords

ethics permission primates human participants 3Rs reduction refinement replacement harm welfare

Type: Chapter
Information: Studying Primates
How to Design, Conduct and Report Primatological Research
, pp. 17 - 30

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108368513.003 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2019

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References

2.14 Further Reading

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