Fall Weekly Blog Post 2

1. Determine the facts of the situation:
2. 1. The academic research is going to be happening in Lesotho and is going to take two weeks.
   2. The research entails testing water sources for disease-causing pathogens.
   3. The research will require significant assistance from the community.
      1. The community will show our team the different locations where they get their water from and places they store it.
   4. We’re assuming that we do not need to pay them based on the fact that we would be willing to help if someone was asking us to do the same.
   5. The goal of the study is to understand the lifecycle and characteristics of a specific pathogen, found only in this region of Lesotho.
   6. Publications are expected – a comprehensive profiled of the pathogen will help develop chemical additives to make the water safe to drink.
   7. The pathogen is found only in this region of Lesotho.

1. Define the stakeholders
   1. Our research team
   2. The University/organization funding the research
   3. Locals in Lesotho who drink the water
   4. The government of Lesotho
   5. The chemical additive developers

 

2. Motivations of each stakeholder

The Research Team

• Our motivation is to understand the life cycle of the pathogen.
• Furthermore, we are motivated to disseminate the newfound knowledge to the greater academic community.
• Some of the researchers may have personal motivation to help the Lesotho community affected by the pathogen.
• Some of the researchers are likely only doing it for a paycheck or to improve their professional reputation

The University/funding organization

• Their reputation is on the line, they want to be represented well (which means the research has to have results that further the worlds understanding of this pathogen)
• They are most likely funding this research in hopes of a major breakthrough

The Locals

• They are motivated to help by the possibility of having clean drinking water
• Cleaner drinking water can likely draw in more tourists
• The locals also would probably like to build relationships with the researchers

The Government

• They can learn from the researchers, specifically they can learn how to develop education/prevention programs to help bring awareness to this pathogen
• The government obviously wants to improve public health and decrease the cost for health care
• They want to increase the local knowledge of the pathogen

The Chemical Additive Developers

• If the researchers can provide the necessary information, developing a chemical additive to combat the pathogen would be a lucrative opportunity

1. Formulate three alternative solutions

 

The ethical problem here is whether it’s okay to not pay locals who are taking time to help out with our research. By the phrasing of the prompt, it seems as though our team is just assuming that locals will be more than willing to help us without compensation. Additionally, are we doing enough as researchers to simply conduct the research and not formulate a plan to utilize the newfound information to help the people of Lesotho. With that in mind, here are three pathways forward.

 

1. Conduct the research as the prompt states. Assume the as researchers we are not obligated to solve the problem and that simply offering up the data that we collect will enable others better equipped to solve the problem. With this being said, compensation in the form of small favors (such as taking locals out to eat, or building sustainable relationships with them) should be distributed.
2. Once again continue the research as the prompt states (do not take direct action to solve the problem) and be prepared to compensate those based on how much they help. This should be a part of the budget, as it seems we would be relying heavily on local knowledge.
3. Reshape our research to include a plan to utilize the newfound knowledge to have a direct impact on Lesotho. In addition prepare accordingly to provide appropriate compensation for the locals who help with the research. Ensure that we have proper IRB approval before we go.
4. Someone in class mentioned something I really liked to, which is to just send a kit that locals can use to test the water themselves and collect the data themselves. 

 

1. Seek additional assistance, as appropriate

• Search the literature for other studies that have been conducted in Lesotho. It might be a good way to find locals that would be willing to participate and how to properly compensate them for their service.
• Reach out to local universities, towns, professionals to see if anyone else has already attempted to conduct this research 
• Find communities that are willing to help with the research, don’t just assume that they want our help
• Talk to our own university/funding agency to see what kind of advice they could give us

 

1. Select the best course of action

 

I think it would be best to reach out to local governments in Lesotho to try and gain their support before heading over. They will be able to put us in contact with individuals willing to help. I also  think the research plan should include a budget to compensate individuals who do choose to help us accordingly. I do think as well that it would be best if our research had a plan to utilize the data we collect, however considering this pathogen is found only in Lesotho, whatever knowledge we pass on to the greater academic community will be used to help clean the water in Lesotho.

 

1. What are the implications of your solution on the venture

 

Not really a venture, but I would say that our research will be used someday, maybe even at the same university, to eliminate the pathogen in the water in Lesotho.