Conceptual, methodological and institutional issues in participatory livestock production research

摘要

Thisarticlediscussesmajorissuesthatconfrontattemptstointroduceparticipatorymethodologiesintolivestockproductionresearch,basedonexperiencesduringtwoprojectsinEastAfrica,andinterviewswithresearchersandothersintheregion.nbsp;Theextenttowhichresearchcanbeparticipatoryisstronglyinfluencedbytheinstitutionalcontextsinwhichitiscarriedandused,andsomeoftheinstitutionsinvolvedarebrieflysurveyed.nbsp;Thearticlethendiscussesconceptualissues;includingthenotionofdegreesofparticipation,theunderdevelopmentofparticipatoryresearchinlivestockcomparedtocropscience,andthereluctanceofexistinglivestocksciencetodealwithmultiple-outputsystems.nbsp;Therelationsbetweenparticipatoryresearch,whole-farmresearchandlivelihoodsresearch,andtheroleofeconomicanalysisarealsoexplored.nbsp;Methodologicalissuesatvariouspointsoftheprojectcyclearediscussed,including:theneedtotailormethodstoagreedobjectives,theroleof#147;PRAtools#148;,thespecificproblemsrelatingtoparticipatorytrialswithlivestock,andtheroleofon-stationtrials.nbsp;Institutionalissuessuchasfundingproceduresandtimescales,andrewardsystemsforresearchersaregenerictoallparticipatoryresearch,buttheyareperhapsfeltmorestronglyinthelivestocksectorwheretheycombinewithlivestock-specificissues.