Work

A step-by-step guide for designing ethnomedical and ethnopharmacological field surveys

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: This Primer provides a step-by-step guide for designing ethnomedical and ethnopharmacological field surveys, with a focus on the documentation of prophylactic, therapeutic, and cosmetic uses of traditional remedies. The guide covers scientific framing and research scope, the identification and organization of the research team and local partnerships, ethical and legal requirements (including ethics approval, research permits, access to genetic resources, and benefit-sharing compliance), interview design, as well as planning and logistics. This guide is intended to support researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds in developing well-founded, transparent, and context-appropriate study designs before conducting field research, thereby strengthening the representativeness, reproducibility, and comparability of ethnomedical and ethnopharmacological field data.

Source: STAR Protocols

DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2026.104936

Authors: François Chassagne, Marco Leonti

Institutions: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, University of Cagliari

Language: English

Topic: Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,550