Whether you’re an academic or just a regular person who went to college one time, you can likely understand why being credited as simply ‘et al.’ can make someone feel invisible.
In the figurative sense, you can imagine it as researchers from who-knows-where dropping down on locals and locales to quickly gather up data and leave.
‘But isn’t that what researchers are supposed to do?’ You might ask, and while that’s true, parachute science sticks out for its parasitic approach to gathering that data.
Whether it’s a conservation study, a look into local languages, or an exploration of a nation’s biodiversity, parachute science extracts the knowledge of locals and does not give them credit.
Parachute science only allows local researchers a subordinate role despite the studies taking place on their home soil with the guidance provided by local experts.
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership funds clinical research in African countries by supporting the local research facilities.