Using participatory research techniques to investigate local notions of malaria in a Nigerian community:

Feedback is a forum for discussion in PLA Notes. It features articles which raise common concerns or challenges in fieldwork or training together with a response from another practitioner of participatory approaches. Letters and articles are welcomed for this section, as are your comments on any of the issues raised by Feedback.

Through a study of local knowledge of malaria among the Ngwa of south-eastern Nigeria, useful insights are emerging about the critical implications of the conduct and behaviour of fieldworkers with regards to the quality of information and data gathered in a participatory study. This article describes some of these insights and comes to the conclusion that practitioners of participatory research methods must conduct themselves in culturally responsive ways if they are to successfully generate information and also grasp where and how the information fits into the entire process of sustainable development.