Considerations for successful engagement in Indigenous health research
| Area of consideration | Suggestions |
|---|---|
| Historical context | Develop relationships, read, and attend talks or conferences to learn about the history of Indigenous health research. |
| Present-day context | Meaningfully engage Indigenous scholars, organizations or communities in every stage of the project. |
| Ensure research is respectful to, desired by and beneficial for the community involved from their perspective. | |
| Ethical guidelines and protocols | Review ethical guidelines that could inform the research; appropriate guidelines will vary based on the community. |
| Endeavour to learn more about the participants’ comfort levels, priorities and cultural protocols. | |
| Indigenous methods and methodologies | Evaluate, with Indigenous team members, what Indigenous methods, methodologies may be appropriate for the project if desired by Indigenous stakeholders. |
| Community-based research | Consider in what tangible ways the research project could restore power and control to Indigenous Peoples. |
| Determine how the Indigenous voice will be represented, recognizing Indigenous people as experts on their own lives. | |
| Deficit-versus strength-based research | Assess whether the research has the potential to stigmatize the community of interest and, if so, how this can be avoided. |
| Look for ways to highlight or acknowledge strengths, talents and skills of the community of interest in the research. | |
| Research allyship | Develop relationships with Indigenous people to which you are accountable. |
| Consider who will be benefitting the most from the research. |