ABSTRACT
Indigenous knowledge research aims to facilitate the targeting of development resources more effectively on the poor. The compatibility of local ideas with scientific ones is a central issue in this work. One objective is to facilitate communication between scientists and local people, on the assumption, fundamental to development interventions, that science may have something to offer them in tackling their problems. Furthermore, it is possible that if scientific and indigenous knowledge are comparable, and if scientists are able to access local knowledge, this might save on expensive scientific research – on the grounds that sharing what the local people already know may reduce the need to conduct research into some topics – and also facilitate empowerment of the poor – because if their knowledge features prominently in any development initiative this will give them a meaningful role in its planning and implementation.
