Best Practices for Scientific Collaboration and Ethical Considerations When Working With Human Remains in Southeast Asia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT The roles and responsibilities we occupy as scientists working directly with human remains are diverse, requiring careful ethical consideration. In Southeast Asian contexts, it has been important for us experts and scholars to be in constant correspondence and collaboration, deriving scientific insights into human health, life histories, and body forms on one hand, and balancing ethical and community‐based concerns on the other. We have learnt—out of necessity—to navigate a global landscape that is rife with postcolonial legacies that perpetuate the practice of expropriation of samples/data from our collections, and discriminatory attitudes in collaborative settings. We remain engaged with broader community and committed to stewarding our collections with care and deliberation. Through a questionnaire, our team assembled semi‐autobiographical qualitative data on our lived realities as Southeast Asian scientists. We evaluate our own collaborations and suggest best practices for moving forward in different forms of work, research, and teaching. We are optimistic about further drawing community and deriving protocols that promote total stakeholder equity. We hope all future work with human remains occurs in alignment with locally informed frameworks of respect, care and mutual understanding.
DOI: 10.1002/oa.70122
Authors: Michael Rivera, Tatfeef Haque, Edwin Miguel Anadon, Ker Woon Choy, Elaine Yih‐Ning Chu, Chong Chin Heo, Toetik Koesbardiati, Winsome Hin‐Shin Lee, Chin‐Hsin Liu, Delta Bayu Murti, Sophorn Nhoem, Patara Rattanachet, Erwin Mansyur U. Saraka, Kathleen Felise Constance Tantuico, Minh Tran, Sarah Agatha Villaluz, Wan Xian Yeo, Naruphol Wangthongchaicharoen, Nandar Yukyi, Pratiwi Yuwono
Institutions: University of Hong Kong, International Committee of the Red Cross, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Texas State University, Universitas Airlangga, Chinese University of Hong Kong, California State University, Northridge, James Cook University, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Hasanuddin University, British Institute of International and Comparative Law, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Viện Khảo cổ học, University of the Philippines Diliman, University of the Philippines Manila, National University of Singapore, Silpakorn University, Southern Cross University
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,220
OpenAlex ID: W7165190445