Research ‘in a Good Way’*

Ecological research that supports ethical and equitable relationships with Indigenous Peoples and Lands are our main priority.

Reciprocity, relevance, responsibility, relationships, and respect (also known as the 5 R’s of Indigenous Research) are values that are fundamental to our work. We strive to uplift these values during every stage of our research; from co-developing a project’s objectives to disseminating results in mutually relevant ways. Setting a values-based approach to our research allows us to work towards decolonizing research methodologies and sets our foundation for weaving knowledge systems.

 While the 5R’s are fundamental to the foundation of our work, our values-based approaches go beyond that. When co-developing research projects, we work towards understanding what values are important for the particular Indigenous communities we partner with. We prioritize listening and embracing the values emphasized to us by our partners.

Relevance:

Our collaborative research process ensures that each project’s objectives, methods, and knowledge dissemination approaches are mutually relevant to all project partners.

Responsibility:

We recognize our responsibility to engage in positive collaborations, to use and protect knowledge shared in a good way, and to uplift community values.

Relationships:

We prioritize time for building strong relationships with our research partners and all our relations through frequent communication and engagement at every stage of the research process, and time on the Land.

Respect:

Upholding the integrity of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems requires respect for differing nations (including animal nations), worldviews, values, and cultures, and supports the process of working together towards a common goal.

Reciprocity:

None of our research would be possible without the guidance provided by our Indigenous community partners and gifts from the Land. Throughout each of our projects, we look for ways to show gratitude and engage in reciprocal relationships with all our relations. 

*This page was modified from content written by MSc student Michelle Beltran based upon collaborative discussions among WISE Lab team members (2024)