Ethnobotany; A Process Based Upon the Scientific Rewriting of Public Traditions

Ethnobotany is a method of scientific monitoring of the information available in public beliefs. The science deals with application of plants in the daily life of an ethnic group. A major part of the information used in ethnobotanical studies is related to the data obtained from the natural course of life of an ethnic group and their viewpoints toward plants. The data is generally in mind and language of the people، and has an oral structure. In this regard، prior to performing any ethnobotanical study، the gap between the oral information in people’s life and data scientifically selected in the research methodology should be addressed. This gap would also bring about the question whether an ethnobotanical study and its findings are scientific or not. In the current study، we have provided some answers to the principles of beginning an ethnobotanical study and emphasis on considering these studies as the foundation of further studies.