The definitions presented in this dictionary are the result of a collective and collaborative effort between researchers and members of the communities that the entries concern. At the outset, delegates were appointed to take charge of certain cultural areas with which they were familiar. Some of these delegates worked within the project, others outside it. Project members directed the collection of dictionary entries for their specific areas. As a result, the dictionary enrolls a mixture of methods, which were chosen in dialog with the communities in focus. In some entries the researcher synthesizes multiple interviews; others were written directly by individual members of the communities in question. In most cases, discussions were held on-site, leading to the identification and definition of keywords that are important for either a community or a particular person. The dictionary, in short, has emerged through collaborative modes of producing data and knowledge.

The research was undertaken in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in Research Ethics in Ethnography/Anthropology, a document produced by the European Commission (Iphofen 2021). Voluntary, informed consent was obtained prior to any work. From the very first, participants have been made aware of the project’s aims and outputs in a way that was understandable to them (e.g., oral and/or written, in the language of the community, etc.). The knowledge gathered here belongs to them. The dictionary’s bibliography lists the names of the people involved, as well as the oral interviews and publications that the researchers consulted in developing the definitions. We acknowledge the importance of confidentiality and offered all participants the option of anonymity. At the same time, we understand the need to recognize participants’ work and knowledge.  

All of the information credited under the name ©GloCo is in fact the result of numerous long-term collaborations. Where entries were produced directly by a community member (or members), we have suggested a citation that attributes authorship accordingly, unless anonymity was preferred. These recommended citations appear at the end of the entries.  Permission was requested prior to any photographs being taken. Similarly, any images of individuals used in the dictionary entries were reproduced with full, informed consent. 

We acknowledge that this dictionary is ambitious and the entries here mark only the start of what will ultimately be a much larger project. The first round of entries is not exhaustive; they reflect only what the research team was able to cover in a limited amount of time. We also recognize the multivocality that exists within given cultural and language groups and understand that the entries here might not reflect all viewpoints. Accordingly, we have included the option for readers and people of concern to contribute to the project—whether through additions to preexisting entries or by suggesting new words altogether.