Ethics Considerations

Ethics and compliance are housed in the Research + Industry Office and include ECU’s Research Ethics Board, which reviews research involving human participants.

The Tri-Agency’s Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans — TCPS2 (2022) is a key resource for research with human participants. Chapter 9 outlines considerations in research with Indigenous Peoples.

ECU recognizes that a distinctions-based approach is needed to ensure the unique rights, interests and circumstances of First Nations, Métis and Inuit are acknowledged, affirmed and implemented (Tri-Agency RDM Policy, Government of Canada 2021).

In addition to complying with Tri-Agency best practices and ECU’s research ethics process, ECU consults with Indigenous faculty and staff to support wise practices in research by and with Indigenous researchers and communities. Research that involves legal or commercial obligations, confidentiality or research agreements falls under the Office of VP Finance + Administration, in consultation with the Research + Industry Office.

Indigenous Data Considerations

For research conducted by and with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, collectives and organizations, DMPs must be co-developed with those communities in accordance with RDM principles or DMP formats they accept and must respect principles of Indigenous data sovereignty (for example, OCAP Principles and CARE Principles). DMPs in this context should recognize Indigenous data sovereignty and include options for renegotiation.

For such research, the communities, collectives or organizations will guide and ultimately determine how data are collected, used and preserved and have the right to repatriate the data.