Abstract
The study design for the different stages of fieldwork undertaken during this ethnobotanical investigation is described in this chapter. The knowledge base for this project was from interviews with traditional Thai healers in northern Thailand who are aware of plants they believe can nourish the brain and enhance memory. The selection of informants was paramount to gather high quality information on plants to treat cognitive impairment. A number of traditional healers were interviewed to determine which ones had deep knowledge regarding medicinal plants for the brain. These healers reported individual plants, as well as plant formulas, used to increase memory and formulas for diseases established as preconditions to a diagnosis of dementia. Establishing these participants required developing a comprehensive interview questionnaire, and properly identifying the plant specimen discussed by the healers. The ethics of a medical ethnobotany project can be quite complex. The protection of biocultural diversity in Thailand, and the traditional knowledge of the healers, is presented at the end of the chapter.
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Offringa, L. (2015). Fieldwork Methodology. In: Medicinal Plants of Northern Thailand for the Treatment of Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly. SpringerBriefs in Plant Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10241-2_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10241-2_2
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