Consent to Participate in a Research Project

Research Project Title

Adaptive Capacity of Pastoral Resource Users in Mongolia: Situated Knowledges and Practices

Researcher

Eric D. Thrift

Institution

The University of Manitoba (Canada)

Sponsors

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Government of Manitoba

You are being invited to participate in a research project.

This consent form, a copy of which will be left with you for your records and reference, is only part of the process of informed consent. It should give you the basic idea of what the research is about and what your participation will involve. If you would like more detail about something mentioned here, or information not included here, you should feel free to ask.

Please take the time to read this carefully and to understand any accompanying information.

About this project

This research project on pastoral resource use in Mongolia is being conducted by Eric Thrift, a Canadian researcher and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Mr. Thrift has worked in the development sector in Mongolia since 1998, in association with the University of Arts and Culture, the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, the World Bank, and other organizations. Mr. Thrift's current research is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Government of Manitoba. The field research component of this project will last 12 months, beginning in July 2011.

This study focuses on the diverse ways that Mongolians make use of natural rangeland resources for livestock grazing, direct human consumption, and processing of secondary products such as meat, wool, felt, hides, and dairy products. The research will explore specifically how different individuals and groups manage to adapt their resource-use patterns in response to economic, social, and ecological change and uncertainty. The study will primarily focus on the experience of herders, but will also include interviews with other producers, merchants, consumers, policymakers, and development workers.

Overall, the research project aims to provide a better understanding of "adaptive capacity" in Mongolia's livestock production sector―in other words, herders' ability to deal with ecological or economic change and uncertainty through constant adaptation rather than through intensive resource management. Building adaptive capacity is increasingly being recognized by international scientists and policymakers as an important strategy for dealing with climate change, and more generally for maintaining resilient ecosystems. Mobile pastoralism, as practised in Mongolia, is in many ways already very adaptive: herders change grazing areas, herd size and composition, herding group membership, and other resources very quickly in response to environmental changes. But at the same time, these adaptive strategies are not always successful in limiting herders' vulnerability to environmental or economic change. Also, adaptive and sustainable resource use practices may not always be possible―or even desirable―for some people to follow.

By studying the actual, everyday adpative practices of a diverse group of Mongolian pastoralists and related actors, this research is intended to provide better knowledge of how to increase adaptive capacity and social-ecological resilience in the Mongolian pastoral sector, through improved governance or by other means. The results of this research will be shared in Mongolia with all study participants and with concerned specialists in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry, the National University of Mongolia, and local organizations in the field sites.

Your participation in the project

This research is being conducted using ethnographic interviews and audiovisual field recordings in approximately 10 xot ails in two different sites―one in the Gobi and one in the Xangai region. If you consent to participate in this study, you will be asked to spend approximately 5-10 hours every two months (over the course of a 12-month period) discussing and demonstrating your everyday resource-use activities, either alone or with others. Specifically, this participation will include:

1. An introductory interview (1½-2 hours) discussing your general experiences as a herder. Part or all of this interview may be conducted in a group with other household members.

2. A series of audiovisual recordings (around 20 hours over the course of the year for all members of the xot ail combined), in which you will be invited to show and discuss everyday activities involving rangeland resource use and pastoral production. These recordings will be annotated and/or transcribed. You will be provided a copy of each recording in the format of your choice.

3. Follow-up viewing and discussions on video recordings or other ethnographic documents involving you and/or other pastoralists.

You will always have the opportunity to review and approve the transcript of any recording before it is used for research purposes. During an interview or recording session, you can choose to have the audio or video recorder or the notes stop at any time and can leave the interview at any time, without impacting your rights as a participant.

You will have the option to be quoted anonymously; if you wish, you may also consent to the recordings being deposited in a research archive and/or used for teaching and other purposes. You are under no obligation, however, to provide your real name, private details of your family or livelihood, or personal opinions, or to authorize the publication of such information.

You are free not to participate in this study, and have the right to withdraw at any time without prejudice to pre-existing entitlements, and will be given continuing and meaningful opportunities for deciding whether or not to continue to participate.

Benefits and risks

This research project is expected to benefit participants by bringing increased attention to your exeriences and needs as resource users. This project will hopefully lead to concrete proposals for ways to support adaptability to economic, social, and ecological change and uncertainty in the pastoral sector. Drawing on very specific experiences documented through in-depth study with a small number of people over the course of a full year, the research is intended to identify and discuss the diverse perspectives of diverse pastoral resource users in a positive and equitable manner. To maximize the applied benefits of this research, results will be disseminated through local governance and scientific organizations, including the Mongolian Ministry of Agriculture and Light Industry, the National University of Mongolia, the Dornogobi Museum, and the Yero'o' sum Cultural Centre.

At the conclusion of this study, you will be provided a summary of results and be invited to comment on these in the context of a forum including other pastoralists, policymakers, scholars, and development workers. As such, your experiences may help to shape positive discussions of governance, sustainable development, and livelihoods improvement in Mongolia.

The risks of participating in this study, as perceived by the Researcher, are minimal. This research is not expected to present significant risks to your health, reputation, or wellbeing.

Participation in this study should not bring undue economic hardship. The Researcher will provide transportation to recording locations if required, and reimbursement for any commodity samples received or consumed. However, you will not be paid for your participation in the research.

Your signature on this form indicates that you have understood to your satisfaction the information regarding participation in the research project and agree to participate as a subject. In no way does this waive your legal rights nor release the researchers, sponsors, or involved institutions from their legal and professional responsibilities. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time, and /or refrain from answering any questions you prefer to omit, without prejudice or consequence. Your continued participation should be as informed as your initial consent, so you should feel free to ask for clarification or new information throughout your participation.

The University of Manitoba Research Ethics Board(s) and a representative(s) of the University of Manitoba Research Quality Management / Assurance office may also require access to your research records for safety and quality assurance purposes.

This research has been approved by the University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus Joint-Faculty Reserch Ethics Board. If you have any concerns or complaints about this project you may contact any of the above-named persons or the Human Ethics Coordinator (HEC) at +1-204-474-7122 or <Margaret _ Bowman AT umanitoba DOT ca>. A copy of this consent form has been given to you to keep for your records and reference.

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(Participant's Signature / Date)

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(Researcher and/or Delegate's Signature / Date)

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