In international collaboration, you need to exercise special care when handling themes or artworks related to local historical and social contexts. Since perceptions of specific historical periods and events can differ depending on present-day social situation and generation, addressing such subjects too casually as an outsider can lead to misunderstandings and a loss of trust. If, however, you handle such issues with sufficient care and respect, you will be able to better convey the aim and context of your project and works and build trust with the local community.

When conducting research overseas and writing articles for the JUMP website, we frequently engage with local themes such as, for example, the history of Portuguese navigation and colonization, Indigenous policies and art in Australia, and the history of immigration in Los Angeles. When dealing with such topics, make a point of questioning local people not only to check historical facts, but also to gauge how they currently perceive and think about them. You need to be particularly careful when commenting on sensitive subjects from an outsider perspective.

Fact-checking is also an essential part of publishing in print or online. Because accounts of historical events often differ in nuance depending on the source, you should cross-check multiple sources. The same goes for translating into English or any other language; nuance can change with the choice of just a single word, so having a reliable translator and native speakers to review the translation will help avoid misunderstandings and enhance accuracy and credibility.

Even then, you can never claim 100 percent accuracy since there are still bound to be differences in nuance between sources and differences in local perceptions. As such, you may benefit by tempering definitive statements with expressions such as “it is said that...” or “according to multiple sources,” or by explicitly explaining your checking process.