Ethical and mental health considerations for research into trade and trafficking of natural resources

As part of a project on the trafficking of parrots and antiquities in Indonesia, we organized a conference titled “Ethics of online research into illicit trade of cultural and natural resources” in August 2021. Two of the major themes that came out of this conference were (1) the difference in ethical approval requirements for research into these sensitive topics and (2) the overall lack of mental health support for researchers focusing on these topics. In this short commentary, we will reflect on both themes, using our own experiences as examples.