DATA: (How) does the analyst account for their own data practices and responsibilities?

August 8, 2018

In response to:

Mavhunga includes many figures that he created himself and also images from various archives (Black Bvekenyas Project (BBP), TKAV).
Most of Clapperton’s own data practices are in his endnotes which he uses almost exclusively to cite specific interviews, fieldnotes and archival materials used. He does not use it for commentary as others sometimes do. Following his endnotes he includes references section where he lists the unpublished primary documents he used (including the national archives of Zimbabwe and South African archives). (page 257).
He notes in his references section: “The ethnographic material for this book is extracted from two projects I have conducted since 2008 that are dedicated to gathering (using digital cameras, camcorder, and computers) what ordinary people in the rural African countryside know and storing these resources within the communities for use in innovation. Brief histories of these projects are given below to orientate the reader on the nature of the archives, a fraction of which has been used in this book.” (257)
He also notes two respositories/archives he helps to run :

“Traditional Knowledge of African Villages (TKAV), Makuleke, South Africa: TKAV emerged in 2008 as an initiative to collect and record the indigenous knowl- edge of rural communities to address our day-to-day challenges. Thus far we have produced more than 1 terabyte of video and audio materials covering topics such as indigenous energy strategies, environment and ecology, medicinal plants, folklore, music, art, proverbs, as well as the history, culture, and economy of the Makuleke dating back to circa 1750. I oversee the project while Elmon Magezi Chauke, a member of the Makuleke community, conducts the day-to-day research activities.”
“The Black Bvekenyas Project (BBP), Chibwedziva, Zimbabwe: The Black Bvekenyas Project began in 2010. Its purpose is to document the life and afterlives of the famous ivory poacher Cecil Barnard, whom locals called Bvekenya, from the perspectives of his black children and grandchildren. Through it, his black grandchildren are trying to tell not only the stories of their lives, but also the his- tories of maTshangana. Thus the project has a 20 GB store of knowledge already collected since 2010. Solomon Bvekenya, a grandson of the famous “poacher,” is coordinating the interviews on a day-to-day basis, while I review material collected, identify gaps, and draft questions and potential leads for further interviews and site visits to ensure that the narratives are told as fully as possible.” (257)

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