Which of the following is NOT a typical ethical principle for PRA/PRAP?

• A. Providing ongoing feedback to participants.
• B. Obtaining voluntary and informed consent.
• C. Ensure anonymity and confidentiality.
• D. Ensure research will not harm participants.

Answer: (C)

In PRA/PRAP, ethics centers on participation, transparency, and safeguarding participants while actively engaging communities in the process. Providing ongoing feedback to participants fits this approach because PRA is iterative: results and learnings are shared back with the group so they can reflect, validate findings, and steer subsequent activities. Obtaining voluntary and informed consent is essential because participation should be a free choice, with people understanding what the process involves. Ensuring the research will not harm participants is a basic protection in any human-centered work.

However, anonymity and confidentiality aren’t typically guaranteed in PRA/PRAP. The methods rely on group activities, open discussions, and collecting data that are shared within the community. Because information is often context-specific and tied to people or households in a village or community, maintaining strict anonymity can be impractical or even counterproductive to the collaborative aims. Data are frequently owned by the community as a whole, and the process emphasizes openness and shared learning rather than concealing identities. For these reasons, anonymity and confidentiality are not standard, defining features in PRA/PRAP ethics.