Many Indigenous communities have developed data governance frameworks to guide research data management. These frameworks respond to and stand against unethical, extractive, deficit-based and harmful research practices.
“Ethical research is based fundamentally on the respect for the individuals who participate in the research project. Contrary to this, research that is conducted with First Nations has a history, an ongoing legacy of poor practice. There are fundamental flaws in research conducted to date with First Nations. Solutions to these flaws include a well designed, ethically conducted research which include protocols and codes of ethics. First Nations need to play an active role in the design of the research project. In order to achieve fundamental key principles to ethical research, IE obtaining prior informed consent, protection of privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual property.”
(Ethics in First Nations Research, Assembly of First Nations, 2009)
Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS) is how Indigenous Peoples exercise authority over their own data. Research conducted in partnership with Indigenous People must respect Indigenous Data Sovereignty, which can be reflected in the data management planning process. Researchers should ensure all data management plans are co-created with the Indigenous community they are working with, and may use an existing framework to guide practices to support IDS.
The OCAP® principles are a set of standards to guide Indigenous data governance.
OCAP® stands for ownership, control, access, and possession:
Principles of Ethical Métis Research (MC, 2011)
These principles should not be considered as rigid rules but as a starting point for ethical research with Métis communities
Reciprocal Relationships: Researchers should build equal partnerships with the Métis community, engage with community members, and ensure that responsibilities and benefits are shared.
Respect: Respect should be shown for individual and collective perspectives, community practices and protocols, confidentiality, autonomy, identity, and gender diversity.
Safe and Inclusive Environments: Research must be inclusive of various age groups, genders, sexual identities, and diverse concepts of Aboriginality, and should maintain inclusivity throughout the research process.
Diversity: Researchers should recognize and account for the diversity within Métis communities, including differences in beliefs, values, worldviews, and geographic locations.
Research Should Have Outcomes: Ethical research should have outcomes that are relevant to the Métis community, accurate, beneficial to all involved, responsible, and should acknowledge the contributions of participants and community partners.
Métis Context: Researchers should have a deep understanding of Métis history, values, knowledge, and context. They should also involve Métis experts and navigate the complexities of Métis worldviews and straddling of cultural perspectives.
National Inuit Strategy on Research (ITK, 2018)
The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami National Inuit Strategy on Research outlines several priority areas and objectives to advance research in the Inuit community:
The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance guide the use of Indigenous data and reflect the importance of data to Indigenous self-determination:
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