Appendix C - Hidden Voices – Selection of Interviewees

Summary

Those interviewed for this work were chosen from of a very small cohort of people that were deemed appropriate for the purpose of the research. All were in some way connected with the subject being documented. Whilst the author makes no claim of representative sampling of subjects here, nevertheless the views given, from a qualitative and ethnographic perspective, are nevertheless significant and help to shed some light on different aspects of Kono life. In this sense purposive or snowball sampling was employed. Those who contributed to the interviews used here have been anonymised where this has been requested through changing names to protect their identity and confidentiality. In such a sensitive industry and where diamonds became embroiled in civil war, awareness and sensitivity towards ethical and political issues is paramount. This research has adhered to the following BSA guidelines to:

… ensure that the physical, social and psychological well-being of research participants is not adversely affected by the research. They should strive to protect the rights of those they study, their interests, sensitivities and privacy, while recognising the difficulty of balancing potentially conflicting interests.

(BSA Ethical Practice Guidelines)