สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

«“√ “√ √“™∫— ≥±‘ µ¬ ∂“π ªï ∑’Ë Û ©∫— ∫∑’Ë Ù µ.§.-∏.§. ÚıÙ¯ 963 Arika Virapongse, Chayan Picheansoonthon complimentary data, and allows the researcher to use a higher sample number of informants and plants. 23 Photographs of the plant in-situ may be used to assist the interview, as plants may be difficult to identify once removed from their natural environment. 29 A study in Catalonia used both a field and plant interview to qualitatively collect ethnobotanical data on medicinal plants. Inter- viewers asked community members to assist with collecting plants, and unstructured interviews were con- ducted on the field. Some inter- viewees were unable to collect plants in the field, and this difficulty was overcome by using a plant interview to verify plant identities. 30 Interviews may focus on a plant group or health conditions to collect specific treatment information. One study documented the medicinal use of Terminalia and Combretum (Combretaceae) in Tanzania because these plant groups are used often as medicines in Africa. 31 Another study in Nigeria documented the herbal remedies used to treat try- panosomiasis in domestic animals- a common and deadly disease in Africa. 32 Both studies identified medicinal plants to be screened for bioactive compounds, and the results can be applied towards identifying plants with useful medicinal qualities for the use of the community. 3. Ethnographic techniques Ethnographic techniques collect data by studying and inter- viewing members of a society over a long period of time in order to produce a cultural description of a group of people, or ethnography. Ethnographic data is collected with participant observation and unstruc- tured interview techniques, which employ specific types of questions, such as descriptive, structural, and contrast questions. The interviews are recorded verbatim to reduce the influence of the ethnographer’s translation. These interviews are linguistically analyzed to identify the semantic definitions, domains, and categories and relationships between terms and phrases and associations with cultural symbols. The end result is an ethnography, which is based on a defined cultural theme. 33 In studies of traditional medicine, the ethnographic approach is useful for revealing insights and analyzing changes and effects within the system of medicine. A study in Indonesia used ethno- graphic methods in combination with ethnobotany methods to record data on Alune ethno-medicine. 34 Ethnographic methods were es- pecially appropriate because of the sensitivity of the subject matter-- incantations are highly guarded by the healers. Traditional healers led field trips to identify and collect medicinal plants and ethnographic interviews were used to discuss and demonstrate the use of plants for medicine. The results included (1) an overall list of illnesses and medicinal plants, including voucher specimens; (2) healing practices involving in- cantations; and (3) an analysis of the effect of factors, such as religion change, shift in language, modern priorities on Alune use of incant- ations, health care practices, and transmission and distribution of knowledge. 4. Inventory Inventories can be used to create an accurate picture of a com- munity’s present medicinal plant use by surveying the materials used for medicine within the community or a given area. Amorozo 35 used ques- tionnaires to survey the plants, plant material, manufactured medicine and other therapeutic products present or growing near the house- hold at the moment of the interview. The results of the inventory was complimented with extensive studies on ethnobotany and disease concepts and treatment over fifteen year period and questionnaires recording the socioeconomic position, disease events and use of health facilities by family members over the past six months prior to the study. As a result, a fair picture of the community’s health practices and use of medicinal plants was recorded. 5. Free-listing Free-listing is often used to determine discrete linguistic domains, by asking informants to list items within a category, such as kin, animals, plants, and diseases. 24 The length of the list 36 and the fre- quency that an item is mentioned by informants 24,37 can be statistically analyzed. Informants can asked to elaborate on or organize the items listed, for example, by ranking a list