ISSUES AND CHALLENGES ON INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE RESEARCH

Abstract

The significance of Indigenous knowledge and its role are being recognized worldwide today. However, there is the grave danger of its extinction due to internal and external factors.  That the preservation of indigenous knowledge is a pertinent and urgent matter is being acknowledged by the stakeholders – indigenous communities, governmental and non-governmental bodies and researchers alike.  One of the most important approaches to this preservation is the research being carried out by academics and non-academics. Researching on indigenous knowledge, while it faces the same issues as researching on other subject areas, is also saddled with additional issues in connection with key contacts, authenticity, copyright and so on. This paper describes the common and uncommon issues associated with researching on indigenous knowledge based mainly on personal experiences of the researcher.