As a baseline, the Indigenous CREATE program follows the University of Manitoba’s Research Ethics and Compliance guidelines. Research Ethics and Compliance ensure ethics protocols are followed by ensuring that the health and welfare of humans, animals and the environment are caretaken in research protocols in accordance with the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Framework (2021).
Additionally, the Ethics Framework outlined by The Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans TPS-2 (2022) will also serve as a baseline for the ethical practices used in the Indigenous CREATE Program.
Each community has their own set of protocols and practices when it comes to research. We recognize that institutional and community ethics don’t always line up. We will always side with community ethics, rather than university ethics.
Communities will be actively involved in the development of research projects to ensure that the projects are in line with the community’s priorities and to ensure that the proper processes and protocols are followed.
All data and information gathered in research projects will belong to the community it is about. The First Nations Data Sovereignty Principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession) will guide the way data is collected, stored, and shared. OCAP principles are important guiding principles for researchers working with Indigenous communities and their data because they ensure that the data isn’t being misused.
All students participating in a research project with a community will first receive cultural training to ensure the proper protocols are followed. The Community Engaged Learning Center has resources available for people interested in working with Indigenous communities called “Working in Good Ways: A Framework and Resources for Indigenous Community Engagement”.
Research transparency will be upheld in this research program by ensuring that communities are involved in the research process at all stages. Transparency is important in research to ensure integrity and trustworthiness.
Equity in research is important because it ensures that the research has clear benefits for the people (and the land) that the research is about. Equity is particularly important for the Indigenous CREATE program because it acknowledges the legacies of harm that research (and being researched) has had on Indigenous people. Equity is inherent in this research program because it is about building capacity and providing training opportunities for not just the students in the program, but also people in the community.
People should be involved in the research that is about them, their lands, and their culture. In this program, researchers will be required to work with communities on their research projects. This will provide benefits not only to the people in the community, but it will also benefit the researcher because communities have more insight into what is going on and they will be able to contribute and help develop a project that reflects them and their values. Inclusion promotes reciprocity in research, and it leads to the development of meaningful relationships between researchers and communities.