24 Oct 2007

Cooks uses web to curb unwanted research

1:55 pm on 24 October 2007

The Cook Islands is using a website as part of ongoing efforts to crack down on foreign researchers who fail to respect the country's heritage and traditions.

The site, partially funded by New Zealand's Health Research Council and launched earlier this year, will include an application form for researchers to fill out stating their intentions.

The council's manager of Pacific Health Research, Ngamau Wichman-Tou, says in the past a lot of data, from artefacts to blood samples, have been collected from the Cooks and not returned.

She says the new website will help keep track of who is in the country doing what.

"It's a very small island and everyone knows everybody. And with the growing awareness, people can now say look, you're meant to register over there, and lead them to the research office so that they can better monitor what they're actually doing."

Ngamau Wichman-Tou from New Zealand's Health Research Council.

The website address is research dot g-o-v dot c-k