When does 'helicopter research' turn exploitative?

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“Helicopter research” is a term that describes what it evokes – researchers from wealthier countries airlifting samples or collecting data from poorer countries without meaningful contact or collaboration with the communities they took them from.

The Khoe-San people in South Africa are no stranger to exploitative research. From rooibos tea to hoodia cactus-derived dietary supplements, the community has historically had to fight for fair compensation and recognition for their contributions to science and medicine. But even for well-meaning researchers, defining what is a fair and equitable exchange can be murky and difficult to execute.

Geneticists Dana Al-Hindi and Brenna Henn of the University of California, Davis are grappling with this question as they conduct their own research. They have partnered with personal DNA testing company 23andMe to provide individual genetic ancestry results to the Khoe-San communities they’re working with. But it’s clear that addressing concerns about exploitative and coercive research won’t be easy.

“Other companies have already promised long-term benefits by sharing equity and profit with participating communities,” they write. “Are individual ancestry results and community grants a sufficient and fair exchange against the profits the company will gain from this collaboration?”

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When does 'helicopter research' turn exploitative?

How a South African community’s request for its genetic data raises questions about ethical and equitable research

Environment + Energy

Jaguars could return to the US Southwest – but only if they have pathways to move north

Economy + Business

Do poison pills work? A finance expert explains the anti-takeover tool that Twitter hopes will keep Elon Musk at bay

Payment apps asking for specific tips before service annoy the heck out of users – but still generate bigger gratuities

Education

An 11-year-old Prince spoke out in support of his striking Minneapolis teachers – a historian of the city’s music scene explains why

Science + Technology

Pandemic decision-making is difficult and exhausting – here’s the psychology that explains why

Politics + Society

Pranks and propaganda: Russian laws against ‘fake news’ target Ukrainians and the opposition, not pro-Putin pranksters

From our international editions

12 best ways to get cars out of cities – ranked by new research

How blending Inuit knowledge and western science has helped improve polar bear health — and why a trade ban would hurt

Russia-Ukraine conflict is driving up wheat prices: this could fuel instability in Sudan

Today's graphic

More from The Conversation US

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