Pilot Indigenous Research Ethics Application

Many contributors have shared their knowledge and ideas towards our conception of an alternative research ethics application. These include the ISP Working Group members as well as Indigenous faculty and graduate students. We also appreciate the generous sharing by the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) of their 7 Directives, as a starting point for development. We also drew upon other sources, including Royal Roads University’s Indigenous Research Ethics Process, Chapter 9 of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS2), and the First Nations Principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP^®).

Indigenous research can take many forms and may involve an Indigenous community, territory, organization, or a community of interest to a lesser or greater degree, depending on the entity’s preferences and capacity to be involved. Research may also be carried out by members within the community. These different forms of research necessarily involve relationships between those carrying out research, those who are contributing to research, and those who will be affected by the researcher.

A key difference between the regular applications hosted in RISe and the pilot application is the emphasis we have given to relationships. Ethical Indigenous research is founded on building these relationships and in this application you will have space to describe the building all of these relationships. For example, if you are conducting research within your own community, you will have space in the ethics application to provide this context. 

The difference in approach is also reflected in the 5 guiding principles (see below) drafted by the Working Group and which have provided a framework for determining what questions to include in the pilot application. 

The pilot takes into account the broad range of behavioural Indigenous-focussed research ethics applications submitted to the BREB. These include: 

• Studies conducted on behalf of First Nations and Indigenous peoples and communities in BC, Canada and internationally 

• Research that originates outside a specific Indigenous population but whose findings may directly impact Indigenous populations, and  

• Research conducted by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers (students and faculty)

Before finalizing our recommendations for implementing an alternative ethics application for Indigenous-focussed research, we will be asking pilot participants to share their experiences. We are keen to receive feedback on each pilot component, including engagement with the BREB, the guiding principles, the application questions (including explanations and sample responses), and review comments received from the BREB team.

Principle 1 | Researchers respect Indigenous communities, collectives and organizations (ICCOs) in their decision making and control of the research 

Rationale: Research needs to reflect the needs and goals of the ICCOs rather than the assumptions of researchers alone. The BREB asks that researchers confirm in their ethics application that they have either co-developed or discussed the research goals and design with the applicable ICCO before submitting their ethics application.  

Principle 2 | Research relevance and priorities support the interests of Indigenous communities, collectives and organizations 

Rationale: The BREB will be looking for information, where appropriate, about how the researchers have engaged with an ICCO on its research goals/priorities and its protocols. Where engagement is not appropriate or possible, an explanation of the research relevance is requested.  

Principle 3 | Research provides benefits to Indigenous peoples, communities, lands and waters  

Rationale: The BREB will be looking for how the community will share in the benefits of research. This should include tangible evidence of what benefits will be delivered, both in the short-term and long-term (e.g., what ongoing commitments have been made by the researchers to the community and participants). 

Principle 4 | Researchers demonstrate self-awareness and awareness of culturally safe practices 

Rationale: The BREB will be looking for a demonstration of how researchers will ensure culturally safe practices for participants and communities with whom they are engaging. General statements about following OCAP^® principles, as an example, are not sufficient, unless the procedures described in the ethics application also demonstrate how the principles will be put into action.  

Principle 5 | Researchers contribute to meaningful and accountable relationships with Indigenous partners, including Indigenous communities, collectives and organizations (ICCOs), and research participants 

Rationale: The BREB is looking for a description of specific actions undertaken by the research team that reflect the principle of reciprocity. Researchers should also acknowledge the benefits they may receive as a result of engaging with their community partners/participants. 

The BREB aligns with the definition provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) via its Indigenous Advisory Circle: 

“Research in any field or discipline that is conducted by, grounded in or engaged with First Nations, Inuit, Métis or other Indigenous nations, communities, societies or individuals, and their wisdom, cultures, experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present. Indigenous research can embrace the intellectual, physical, emotional and/or spiritual dimensions of knowledge in creative and interconnected relationships with people, places and the natural environment. 

“Whatever the methodologies or perspectives that apply in a given context, researchers who conduct Indigenous research, whether they are Indigenous or non-Indigenous themselves, commit to respectful relationships with all Indigenous peoples and communities.” 

Research where the groups from which participants will be drawn are likely to include a significant proportion of Indigenous persons should consider the principles of Indigenous research when designing their research project and before submitting to the BREB.  

https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/society-societe/community-communite/indigenous_research-recherche_autochtone/index-eng.aspx