Research Signpost 37/661 (2), Fort P.O., Trivandrum-695 023, Kerala, India Current Topics in Ethnobotany, 2008: 113-124 ISBN: 978-81-308-0243-5 Editors: Ulysses Paulino de Albuquerque and Marcelo Alves Ramos 7 When intention matters: Comparing three ethnobotanical data collection strategies Júlio Marcelino Monteiro, Reinaldo Farias Paiva de Lucena Nélson Leal Alencar, Viviany Teixeira do Nascimento Thiago Antônio de Sousa Araújo, Marcelo Alves Ramos and Ulysses Paulino de Albuquerque Department of Biology, Applied Ethnobotany Laboratory, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, 52101-030, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Brazil Abstract Methodological procedures used in ethnobotanical investigations have been the target of criticism in terms of their reliability and efficiency in gathering certain types of information. The great variety of research topics to be pursued and the urgency of recording local knowledge concerning biodiversity indicate the need for an examination of our investigative methods. The present work was designed to compare the species richness of useful plants as determined by Correspondence/Reprint request: Dr. Ulysses P. Albuquerque, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco Departamento de Biologia, Área de Botânica, Laboratório de Etnobotânica Aplicada, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n, 52-171-900 Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco Brazil. E-mail: upa@db.ufrpe.br