ABSTRACT
Beliefs about what constitutes ethical and unethical research behaviour are inextricably related to broader moral values and philosophical assumptions, which are in turn culture-specific. As Marshall (1992) points out, ‘ethics and values cannot be separated from social, cultural and historical determinants that regulate both the definition and resolution of moral quandaries’. As a corollary, anthropology can play a vital role in helping understand the ‘cultural underpinnings that sustain and reinforce ethical constructs’ (Marshall, 1992, p62), and help develop a cross-cultural model for the exploration of ethical questions raised by biodiversity research.
