ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: There has been a number of references in the literature to over-research and research fatigue, but rarely have the concepts been empirically investigated, and never for Pasifikans. There have been claims that researchers have built careers out of the 'natural experiment situations of the Pacific with minimal benefits to the researched, e.g. the Tongans. In response, an exploratory investigation into the New Zealand Tongan communities' understanding of and participation in, research, (HRC Seeding Grant No. 11/529), was conducted. METHOD: We consulted 2 different church meetings in Auckland (approximately 50 people in each group). We also engaged in talanoa/discussions of the issues with 5: church leaders from different denominations; Tongan researchers; business owners; and 5 community leaders from Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Christchurch, respectively. RESULTS: The study found, that the Tongan communities are subjected to a variety of research, information, and data gatherings, from a myriad of agencies. The respondents used a variety of mechanisms to avoid discomfort, get rid of researchers as expediently as possible, including; heliaki, white lies, sarcasm, or give expected answers, thus confirming research fatigue. The interviews and surveys employing the Tongan language and ethnic specific research approaches were preferred, especially for sensitive issues. The study suggests that ownership of the research process will improve the robustness of the data collection, and the community ownership of research outcomes. CONCLUSION: The presence of research fatigue will threaten robust data collection and ownership of research findings. This paper discussed research fatigue and its dangers, and suggest ways to address this problem, before researchers are driven further from the researched communities and the utility of research knowledge.
