Research Ethics
All PhD research must be grounded in the Vision Statement of the program and meet the PhD Program Ethics Committee standard for ethical research with Indigenous peoples. Students engage with research ethics in the first year in the Theories and Methodologies for Indigenous Studies course, as well as the Dissertation Proposal course in the second year. It is also one of the themes on the bibliography for the Core Comprehensive Examination.
The following resources may also be helpful for students as they move through various stages of the program.
Web Resources
Africa
Australia
- Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies
- Ethical Guidelines for Research Involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
- Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs)
Canada
- Tri-Council Policy on Research with Indigenous Peoples sets out requirements for ethical conduct of research involving Indigenous peoples.
The Tri Council Policy emphasizes the importance of COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT is a key requirement:
- Where the research is likely to affect a First Nations, Inuit or Métis community or communities to which potential participants belong, researchers shall seek engagement with the relevant community
- The nature and extent of community engagement in a project shall be determined jointly by the researcher and the relevant community
- Researchers have an obligation to become informed about and to respect the relevant customs and codes of research practice that apply in the particular community or communities affected by their research
- Differences between community codes and institutional policies (TCPS) should be resolved in advance, to the extent possible.
Chapter 9 builds on prior work to develop ethics guidelines in communities, universities and research agencies. CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People (2007) have been integrated in the TCPS draft and continue as a specific resource for community partnerships.
- CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People
- SSHRC Guidelines for the Merit Review of Aboriginal Research
- Native Council of Prince Edward Island: Guidance for Researchers
- Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network: Guiding Ethical Principles
Norway/Sweden
- Reflections on Ethic for Ethnically Non-Indigenous Researchers
- Collecting Traditional Knowledge, Using it and Handling the Materials
United States
- Research Ethics: A Source Guide to Conducting Research with Indigenous Peoples
- Developing a Community-Based Research Orientation: Resources for Investigators Desiring to Work with American Indian & Alaska Native Communities
- TRIBAL COMMUNITY PROFILES AND RESEARCH PROTOCOLS
New Zealand
- Maori Research Ethics : Rangahau
- Te Ara Tika - Guidelines for Māori Research Ethics: A framework for researchers and ethics committee members
- Māori Research Ethics: An overview
- Katoa Ltd: Research Ethics
- Māori Research Websites
Webinars and Podcasts on Research Ethics
Africa
Australia
- AFPHM Webinar - Aboriginal Health Ethics and Research
- Yarning about Indigenous Ethics
- Cultural Protocols When Researching with Australian Aboriginal Communities
- Social Media Research and Indigenous Communities
Canada
- Research Involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada
- Anti-Aboriginal Racism in Canada: A Social Determinant of Health
- Working Better Together — Conference on Indigenous Research Ethics
- Reconciling Ethical Research with Métis, Inuit, and First Nations People
United States