WHO IS A VIETNAMESE PRIMATOLOGIST?Many introductory textbooks for biological or physical anthropology include primatology as a branch of biological anthropology, and in higher education programs in anthropology in many countries, including the United States, primatology is taught as such. In Vietnam, there is no formal training program in primatology or biological anthropology, and many scientists question why primatology should be taught in an anthropology department, having been trained instead in a vertebrate zoology or biology department. To gain a broader understanding among Vietnamese scholars about the definition of a primatologist in Vietnam and whether there might be a need for specific training programs related to primatology, I interviewed and reviewed the work of several Vietnamese scholars who do research on primates or were former primate conservation workshop trainees.Nguyẽn XuânDȃ . ng (e-mail, July 3, 2015), a senior mammal researcher working at the Department of Zoology at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR) who considers himself a Vietnamese primatologist, defines primatology "simply . . . as science of biology, ecology and conservation of primates." According to Nguyẽn XuânDȃ . ng, whoever studies primates should be considered a primatologist. In particular, he stated that Vietnamese primatologists are researchers who publish about the biology, ecology, or conservation of primates in both national and international journals. His view favors research output as the primary measure in defining a primatologist in Vietnam rather than formal or informal education in primatology.Indeed, most primatologists in Vietnam lack formal training in primatology, and primate research combines diverse methods beyond those with a solely primate focus, such as comprehensive biodiversity surveys, applied biological research, environmental impact assessments, ecological planning for the establishment of a protected area, and so on. Vietnamese primatologists have formal training in mammalogy or zoology, ecology, archaeology, or environmental science. This phenomenon is not necessarily unique to Vietnam and may relate to contemporary discussions in
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.