Braun, A. 2004. Ethics and Professional standards. Paideia Resources.Over the last decade many practitioners have realized that Participatory Research and Development can be done well or not. The quality of participatory research and development can affect the well-being of people and the environment and poor quality initiatives can have serious social, economic and ecological consequences. Furthermore, a high quality participatory process is not sufficient to guarantee success. The wrong approach or design –however well implemented – is unlikely to lead to the desired outcomes. The question of ethics, professional standards and accountability is one of several key elements crucial to improving the design and quality of participatory research and development.Ethical frameworks and professional standards and accountability mechanisms for these are well developed in the medical field and in academia among researchers who study human subjects, however has been relatively little discourse about these in the arena of participatory research and development. Nevertheless, some organizations have explored these issues and examples of key elements from a variety of frameworks are summarized.

Borrini-Feyerabend, G. (ed. with D. Buchan). 1997. Beyond Fences: Seeking Social Sustainability in Conservation. (2 volumes: a process companion and a reference book. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Groenfeldt. D. 2004. Water Development and Spiritual Values in Western and Indigenous Societies. Indigenous Water Initiative.The spiritual connection to water that indigenous societies maintain as an integral aspect of their culture is a basis for countless water conflicts with outside, predominantly Western forces of development. While Western cultural values do give some attention to a spiritual dimension of water, it is very much a minority view. The dominant value system determining how water is utilized in Western culture is basically an economic one. In indigenous societies the situation is reversed. The dominant cultural perspective places great importance on spiritual aspects of water and water bodies. Internal debates revolving around development options nonetheless often reflect economic considerations promoted by the outside dominant society. More explicit understanding of indigenous value systems by the Western world would help relieve cultural pressure on indigenous societies, and, to the extent the West might emulate indigenous notions of humanity's role vis a vis nature, could benefit the cause of sustainable development worldwide.