The inclusion of indigenous and local knowledge in research addressing global environmental challenges, such as climate change adaptation, is increasingly recognized as crucial for creating robust and inclusive solutions. Major funding organizations now often require collaboration with local communities. However, existing research highlights numerous challenges in these collaborations, including: lack of trust due to past negative experiences; exploitative 'helicopter research'; disregard for local methods; imposition of Western frameworks and epistemologies; language barriers; and inadequate dissemination of results. These challenges impact all project phases, from planning to knowledge dissemination. Ethical considerations, particularly everyday ethics focusing on relationships, responsibilities, and situated choices, are paramount. This study examines these ethical dimensions by interviewing researchers involved in projects with local/indigenous communities and analyzing their publications, aiming to identify challenges, strategies employed, and the extent to which these are reflected in their published work. The research questions address the challenges encountered by researchers working with local and indigenous peoples, how these challenges are handled, and how these challenges are (or are not) discussed in their research articles.

The literature reveals a growing awareness of the need to improve research practices involving local communities and their knowledge. Several studies point to a range of challenges, including mistrust stemming from past exploitative research, the imposition of Western research methods and epistemologies, and difficulties in communicating research findings effectively. The importance of ethical considerations, particularly everyday ethics, is emphasized. Existing reviews on ethical challenges in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) are mentioned, but their focus differs from the current study's emphasis on climate change and environmental issues. The literature suggests that ethics goes beyond formal principles and rules, encompassing all aspects of the research process and its impact on participants and the community.

This study employed a mixed-methods approach. Fifteen researchers working on climate change or environmental challenges in various global locations were interviewed using semi-structured interviews (14 in English, 1 in Norwegian). Snowball sampling was used, starting with known researchers and expanding through referrals. The interviews, lasting an average of 60 minutes, explored various project phases, including participant engagement, data analysis, and result dissemination. The researchers were also asked to select one relevant published article for analysis. Inductive thematic analysis was applied to the interview transcripts using NVivo 12. The selected articles were also subjected to close reading to identify whether and how the challenges and strategies discussed in the interviews were presented. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed eight overarching themes representing challenges and strategies for addressing them. These themes were analyzed for their ethical implications, focusing on concepts like responsibility, situational choices, relationships, epistemological dilemmas, and on-the-fly decisions.

The interview analysis identified eight key challenges: 1. **External Pressure:** Deadlines, publication pressures, and funding constraints created pressure to involve local communities, often conflicting with community needs and priorities. Ten out of 15 interviewees discussed this theme. Some researchers reflected on the potential negative impact of publication pressures on local communities. 2. **Engaging Local People:** Difficulties in engaging local communities, including instances of refusal to participate due to past negative experiences or perceived irrelevance, were noted by seven interviewees. Strategies involved in-person meetings, adapting the project to local needs, and utilizing diverse communication approaches, including art. 3. **Project Relevance:** A mismatch between researcher interests and community needs emerged as a significant challenge (10 interviewees). Local communities often prioritize immediate local issues, highlighting a need for more community-led research. 4. **Negative Past Experiences:** Ten interviewees highlighted distrust and resistance from communities stemming from previous exploitative research practices. This was frequently linked to concerns about knowledge extraction without reciprocal benefits, and fear of recolonization. Strategies focused on building trust through collaborative research, knowledge co-production, and ensuring local voices were heard and represented in publications. 5. **Cultural, Historical, and Geographical Differences:** This theme (all 15 interviewees) emphasized the crucial role of cultural competence, historical context, and geographical awareness. Challenges included navigating power dynamics, overcoming language and communication barriers, and avoiding assumptions about cultural homogeneity. Solutions involved acquiring sufficient cultural knowledge, engaging local collaborators, adapting research approaches to respect cultural norms, and incorporating diverse community voices. 6. **Language Challenges:** All 15 interviewees discussed challenges associated with language barriers, including the limitations of interpreters who might filter or misrepresent information. Strategies included using local field assistants or colleagues fluent in the local language and utilizing alternative communication methods such as art. 7. **Payment for Participation:** This theme (seven interviewees) highlighted the complexities of compensating participants, with challenges including potential for exploitation or insufficient compensation. The most common solution was to provide fair compensation, often viewed as a necessary step to respect participants’ time and avoid exploitation. 8. **Diverging Epistemic Cultures:** Six interviewees described challenges related to differences between Western and indigenous epistemologies, including difficulties in gaining acceptance for indigenous knowledge systems within the dominant Western academic framework. This involved discussions of decolonizing research practices and emphasizing the importance of dialogue and collaboration between different ways of knowing. Analysis of the selected publications revealed a stark contrast. While all interviewees reflected extensively on these challenges during the interviews, many publications minimized or omitted them. The most common presentation of the challenges was in methodological articles or reflections on completed projects. Several articles demonstrated strategies for addressing potential challenges, but did not explicitly state the challenge to which the strategy was responding.

The findings demonstrate a considerable gap between the ethical considerations and practical challenges experienced by researchers working with local communities and the representation of these issues in their published work. The eight themes identified highlight the multifaceted ethical dimensions of such collaborations, consistently demonstrating the researchers’ commitment to ethical responsibility and care. The lack of transparency in publications prevents wider engagement with these challenges and limits opportunities for learning and improving research practices. The ethical implications of the challenges, particularly those that impact community well-being, necessitate a greater focus on transparency and open discussion in research articles. This contributes to decolonizing research practices. This should involve a shift toward greater recognition and incorporation of local epistemologies and a more equitable sharing of research benefits. The research underscores the need for greater reflexivity and a commitment to ethical considerations throughout all stages of the research process.

This study reveals a significant disconnect between the ethical challenges faced by researchers working with local communities on global environmental change projects and the reporting of these challenges in their publications. The eight themes identified highlight the deeply ethical nature of this type of research, demanding increased transparency and reflexivity in the research process and its dissemination. Future research should focus on developing practical strategies for addressing these challenges more effectively and integrating ethical considerations into all aspects of research design, implementation, and reporting. This would benefit from research on how academic publishing structures and conventions might be adapted to facilitate more transparent and ethical reporting.

The study's generalizability is limited by the sample size (15 researchers) and the use of snowball sampling. The focus on researchers working on climate change and environmental issues may also limit the transferability of findings to other research areas. While the analysis revealed patterns, the findings may not capture the full spectrum of challenges faced in all contexts.