A more conscious effort to develop ‘appropriate’ research methodologies in developing countries is advocated to provide alternatives to conventional social science methods. It is incumbent upon the people asking questions to use elicitation techniques which are appropriate to the cultural context and tailored to the abilities and requirements of the local community. In this way interactions between interested parties can be structured so that the initiative in answering questions rests with local people. Field trials at Oluwatedo, Oyo State, Nigeria, adapted the Ayo board to elicit farmers' perception of weeds and pests. Ayo is the Yoruba version of a popular African game which has its roots in the ancient Egyptian game of Mancala. The Ayo board format was used in conjunction with repertory grid methodology to focus discussion on farming problems. Numerous scenarios can be devised using this format to generate genuine dialogue between farmers and outside research workers.