Intersections of Ethics of Indigenous Health Research and Health Research Education

Abstract

Health research involving Indigenous peoples is regulated by guidelines based on the ethics of Indigenous health research, which establish routes to knowledge development in order to support and improve health for Indigenous communities. Despite these guidelines, health imbalances remain and continue to negatively impact Indigenous peoples. This thesis explores some of the barriers and strengths of ethical guidelines of Indigenous health research in Canada. Using a community-based approach, this research shifts the focus away from a study of Indigenous peoples themselves, to a study of the practices that health researchers employ when conducting health research involving Indigenous peoples. An online survey was developed and distributed via email and through social networks to health researchers who work in the field of Indigenous health research. The survey consisted of 22 questions using and a Likert scale (Likert, 1932) to explore perceptions of ethical guidelines in use by researchers who engage in Indigenous health research. After data quality control analysis, 228 respondents were considered valid and constituted the data set. Results suggest a general level of agreement (Somewhat Agree) with the value of the health ethical guidelines used by researchers. High agreement was found for basic items such as ethical guidelines being easy to access and the amount of information offered was appropriate. However, low agreement was found on items that rated the perceived characteristics of ethical guidelines: their clarity, and whether they reflected the current social context of Indigenous peoples; the inclusion of Indigenous paradigms inside ethical guidelines and whether the guidelines enhanced health researchers’ understanding of Indigenous worldviews. Results also describe some other characteristics of Indigenous health research, such as exploring who is researching what, when, and how with special attention to research methodologies, approaches and perceived engagement with Indigenous communities. A major implication of these results suggests the need for the inclusion of Indigenous research perspectives in health research and health research education much more broadly if they are to effectively support Indigenous healthier communities.