Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) for inclusive research

About Indigenous research

What is Indigenous Research? 

SSHRC defines Indigenous Research as “Research in any field or discipline that is conducted by, grounded in or engaged with First Nations, Inuit, Métis or other Indigenous nations, communities, societies or individuals, and their wisdom, cultures, experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present. Indigenous research can embrace the intellectual, physical, emotional and/or spiritual dimensions of knowledge in creative and interconnected relationships with people, places and the natural environment.” 

SSHRC offers further guidance on Indigenous Research, including the Indigenous Research Statement of Principles and Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research. 

How do I know if I’m doing Indigenous research? 

According to the Tri-Council Policy Statement - Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2) Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada (2022), there are some parameters which describe conditions requiring engagement with Indigenous Nations and Communities. As such, these can be considered as characteristics which describe Indigenous research.  

Article 9.1

Where the research is likely to affect the welfare of an Indigenous community, or communities, to which prospective participants belong, researchers shall seek engagement with the relevant community. The conditions under which engagement is required include, but are not limited to:  

  • research conducted on First Nations, Inuit or Métis lands;  
  • recruitment criteria that include Indigenous identity as a factor for the entire study or for a subgroup in the study;  
  • research that seeks input from participants regarding a community’s cultural heritage, artifacts, traditional knowledge or unique characteristics;  
  • research in which Indigenous identity or membership in an Indigenous community is used as a variable for the purpose of analysis of the research data; and  
  • interpretation of research results that will refer to Indigenous communities, peoples, language, history or culture. 

Please book a consultation with us at Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca to discuss if your research project would be considered Indigenous research.

How do I determine if Indigenous community engagement is required in my research?

According to the Tri-Council Policy Statement - Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2) Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada (2022), researchers shall seek engagement with the relevant community “[w]here the research is likely to affect the welfare of an Indigenous community, or communities, to which prospective participants belong”.  

Article 9.1 stipulates that the conditions under which engagement is required include, but are not limited to:  

  • research conducted on First Nations, Inuit or Métis lands;  
  • recruitment criteria that include Indigenous identity as a factor for the entire study or for a subgroup in the study;  
  • research that seeks input from participants regarding a community’s cultural heritage, artifacts, traditional knowledge or unique characteristics;  
  • research in which Indigenous identity or membership in an Indigenous community is used as a variable for the purpose of analysis of the research data; and  
  • interpretation of research results that will refer to Indigenous communities, peoples, language, history or culture. 

Please book a consultation with us at Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca to discuss approaches to Indigenous community engagement.

Why does Indigenous research with Indigenous Peoples/Nations/Communities have special considerations?

Until recently, it was common practice for research to be conducted on Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and Communities as objects or subjects, rather than as partners, collaborators, and experts. In order to prevent further harm and to support the well-being and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and Communities, researchers must take an ethical and principled approach to their research design and research practices involving or impacting Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and Communities. This is supported by the Tri-Council Policy Statement - Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2), specifically Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada (2022). 

Additionally, Indigenous Peoples have a distinct status within Canada, and as such, have different requirements and considerations concerning engagement and consultation. Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, recognizes and affirms that the ‘Aboriginal Peoples’ of Canada [note: the term ‘Aboriginal’ is still used in some Canadian legal contexts, although the preferred current term is ‘Indigenous’], including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, have distinct and pre-existing Aboriginal and treaty rights, which have been further defined and clarified through numerous Supreme Court cases. This means that Indigenous Communities are rights-bearing collectives and Indigenous Peoples are rights-holders.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) notes that Indigenous Communities have the right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in order to ensure effective and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples in decisions that affect them, their Communities, and territories. In June 2021, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act received Royal Assent and immediately came into force. The Government of Canada acknowledges that:

“FPIC describes processes that are free from manipulation or coercion, informed by adequate and timely information, and occur sufficiently prior to a decision so that Indigenous rights and interests can be incorporated or addressed effectively as part of the decision-making process - all as part of meaningfully aiming to secure the consent of affected Indigenous peoples.”

To learn more, please book a consultation with us at Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca.

Are there any resources on Indigenous research available?

There are many Indigenous research resources available. Please visit the Inclusive Research Resource Hub and sort using the “Indigenous Research,” “Indigenous Research Training,” “Indigenous Data Sovereignty,” or “Northern Research” tags, as applicable.

Do you have a list of recommended trainings?

There are many Indigenous research-specific trainings that we can recommend, as well as more foundational trainings on Indigenous history, engagement, or initiatives. Please visit the Inclusive Research Resource Hub and sort using the “Indigenous Research Training” tag. For custom training and capacity-building opportunities, please contact Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca.  
 

About the Indigenous Research Team's supports

Can the Indigenous Research Team introduce me to Indigenous community members, Elders or Knowledge Keepers, Indigenous faculty at Waterloo, or Indigenous organizations?

We are not able to facilitate introductions to Indigenous community members, Elders or Knowledge Keepers, Indigenous faculty, or Indigenous organizations. We can help identify potential partners working in a similar field and discuss wise practices, cultural protocols, and key considerations to prepare researchers to build relationships. Please reach out to us at Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca to learn more.

Can the Indigenous Research Team write my Indigenous engagement plan/my Community-Based Research Agreement/my Data Sharing Agreement?

We are not able to write community engagement plans, research agreements, data sharing agreements, or sections of a grant application. We can provide examples and a review of any of these documents. Please reach out to us at Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca.

Will the Indigenous Research Team facilitate my Indigenous community outreach and engagement?

The Indigenous Research Team can share wise practices and provide advice on community outreach and engagement, but it is a best practice for the researcher to build relationships with the community or organization they hope to partner with. Please book a consultation with us at Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca to learn more.

Can the Indigenous Research Team verify a person/organization’s Indigenous identity claims?

No, the Indigenous Research Team cannot provide verification of a person or organization’s Indigenous identity.

Can the Indigenous Research Team be on my Indigenous Advisory Circle?

As the Indigenous Research Team is part of the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Internation and we provide broad central supports to research projects, we do not sit on project-specific Indigenous Advisory Circles. We welcome questions about the role and function of Indigenous Advisory Circles and can share wise practices about how to respectfully convene and co-create with Advisory Circles in a research context.

Does the Indigenous Research Team advise on research with Indigenous Communities outside of Canada? 

The Indigenous Research Team primarily focuses on advising on Indigenous research within a Canadian context, as there are specific guidelines, considerations, and cultural protocols to be followed here. While we are unable to provide specific international/global Indigenous research support, we can share wise practices and guidance from Indigenous research in Canada.

Can the Indigenous Research Team provide advice or guidance about my ethics application?

The Indigenous Research Team is not part of the Office of Research Ethics and cannot advise on any research ethics application. We can provide guidance on supporting documentation that may be submitted as part of an ethics application, such as a Community Research Agreement or a Data Sharing Agreement that respects Indigenous Data Sovereignty. Please reach out to researchethics@uwaterloo.ca for specific questions regarding a research ethics application.

Can the Indigenous Research Team review my grant application? How much time does it take?

Yes, the Indigenous Research Team can review your grant application. Typically, our turnaround time is 2-3 business days.

When is it best to reach out to the Indigenous Research Team for a consultation?

It is best to reach out to the Indigenous Research Team in the ideation phase of your project, as Indigenous research considerations and community engagement planning should begin as early as possible. However, we welcome questions at any point of your research project. Please book a consultation with us at Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca.

What is the difference between the Indigenous Research Team and the Office of Indigenous Relations?

The Indigenous Research Team is embedded in the Vice-President, Research and International portfolio. We support researchers and special projects in the research ecosystem. The Office of Indigenous Relations is responsible for a campus-wide approach to Reconciliation, Decolonization, and Indigenization, as outlined in the Indigenous Strategic Plan, 2023-2028. We liaise and work closely with the Office of Indigenous Relations on a number of initiatives involving Indigenous research.  

About equity in research

What is equity, diversity, and inclusion in a research context?

A supportive environment that is actively working towards being free of bias and discrimination, with thoughtful policies and practices benefits everyone in all contexts. In the research context specifically, evidence shows that proactively engaging in EDI best practices fosters research excellence. When people feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work, they can do their best work, and a diversity of backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, and ideas means a more robust and impactful research design. The benefits of EDI in research are underscored by the federal funding agencies: 

The Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) and its tri-agency members (the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) are committed to excellence in research practice and design. Achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and to respond to local, national and global challenges.

~ Best practices in equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice and design

Where do EDI considerations show up in the research context?

There are two separate but related areas where EDI considerations show up in most research grant applications: research team/environment and research design. 
In terms of research environment, these are the inclusive practices that support people bringing their full selves to their workplace, including, but not limited to:

  • EDI best practices like supporting people’s caregiving and faith-based practices through flexible work options
  • Mitigating power dynamics in the research environment through activities like developing team values statements to promote collaboration and accountability  
  • Offering team EDI trainings, among many others.

In terms of research design, EDI should be considered at all stages of the research process. These considerations range throughout the research design process, including but not limited to:

  • The development of research questions 
  • The design of the study
  • Methodology and data collection 
  • Analysis and interpretation 
  • Dissemination of results

This process is discussed in-depth in the NSERC Guide on Integrating EDI Considerations in Research, the principles of which apply across disciplines. Gender-Based Analysis (GBA+) is a very helpful tool in thinking through EDI considerations at each stage of the research process.

Both areas are also connected, however, in that an inclusive research environment enables people to do their best work, which leads to more robust research.

The Research Equity Team is available for consultation or review of drafts and has also prepared numerous resources to support researchers. Please also see our Building Inclusive Research Capacity offerings as well as the Inclusive Research Resource Hub.

About the Research Equity Team's supports

What is the Research Equity Team?

The Research Equity Team is part of the Inclusive Research Team within the Office of the Vice-President, Research and International (OVPRI), which is strategically aligned to support, increase, and implement sustainable equity, diversity, and inclusion practices, and to develop principles and practices for respectful Indigenous research across the research enterprise at Waterloo. The Inclusive Research Team operates as two separate but aligned teams, the Research Equity Team and the Indigenous Research Team. Please see our pages for detailed discussions of the supports we provide.

At what stage in the research process is it best to reach out to the Research Equity Team for advice?

It is best to reach out to the Research Equity Team as early as possible in the development of the research project to enable proactive EDI considerations and planning. However, we welcome questions at any point of your research project. Please book a consultation with us at research.equity@uwaterloo.ca.

I’m new to EDI in research—where do I start?

The Research Equity Team is here to help! We recommend checking out our learning series, the Building Inclusive Research Capacity program, and the recordings we’ve made of previous sessions. The Inclusive Research Resource Hub is also full of useful resources as starting points. Finally, feel free to reach out to the Research Equity Team at research.equity@uwaterloo.ca. If your questions are about Indigenous research, please reach out to the Indigenous Research Team at Indigenous.research@uwaterloo.ca.

How does the Research Equity Team support faculty members?

There are many supports available to faculty:

  • Consultations about questions regarding EDI in research.
  • EDI reviews of applications. 
  • Advice on promising practices to addressing equity barriers on teams or in research. 
  • Information regarding the OVPRI’s assigned President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce (PART) recommendations.
  • Information regarding the Canada Research Chair Equity Action Plan.
  • Education: 
    • The Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) webinars, workshops, and other resources are designed with faculty researchers in mind. 
    • We can provide custom trainings on EDI considerations to your unit or team.
    • Faculty have access to the Inclusive Research Resource Hub. The Hub is a document library that is comprised of important documents focused on EDI to support the Waterloo community as they integrate EDI and Indigenous research considerations into their research design and teams.

How does Research Equity Team support students? 

Students are welcome to attend the BIRC webinars [link to BIRC page] and can also access the Inclusive Research Resource Hub. The Hub is a document library that is comprised of important documents focused on EDI to support the Waterloo community as they integrate EDI and Indigenous research considerations into their research design and teams.

How does Research Equity Team support staff?

Staff are welcome to attend the BIRC webinars and can access the Inclusive Research Resource Hub. The Hub is a document library that is comprised of important documents focused on EDI to support the Waterloo community as they integrate EDI and Indigenous research considerations into their research design and teams.

We also welcome questions EDI in research questions and collaboration from staff supporting research and researchers. Contact research.equity@uwaterloo.ca.

Where can I find out about upcoming webinars and workshops? 

All upcoming webinars and workshops are posted on the Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) and Inclusive Research Events pages and the Inclusive Research Resource Hub calendar. Please register for any events you are interested in attending.

What EDI in research resources are available? 

Can you write the EDI section of my grant application? 

We are not able to write EDI sections. We recognize that some researchers and fields are newer to EDI. While writing EDI sections is beyond the scope of the Research Equity Team, as the EDI section of grants should reflect researchers' specific approaches to EDI within their field, research, and team context, which only the researcher knows: For EDI plans to be meaningful and impactful, researchers must identify barriers faced by their team members and in their research projects and implement practices and policies to remove those barriers.

We can offer expert advice and guidance, however. The Research Equity Team can meet with you to discuss your plans, review drafts, and suggest best practices and resources. We also offer the Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) learning series. One valuable resource is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Research: Grant Application Workbook, as part of our “A Better First Draft” programming, which helps researchers develop their EDI plans for both their teams/environments and research projects.

Can I have an example of a successful EDI section? 

We do not provide examples of EDI sections of successful grants, but a colleague may be willing to share theirs. This is for several reasons: First and foremost, EDI sections must be reflective of the researcher’s specific context and experience—providing a copy or boilerplate language is counter to the intention of EDI principles and will be rapidly recognized by reviewers. Further, different grants have different requirements for these sections. What was successful for one application is not necessarily going to be successful in a different context or with different reviewers, particularly as expectations regularly evolve.  

The Inclusive Research team can provide expert advice, however, by meeting to hear about your plans, reviewing a draft, recommending best practices, and suggesting resources. We also offer five webinars that make up our core offerings for the Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) learning series. One of the most useful resources we have developed is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Research: Grant Application Workbook, as part of our “A Better First Draft” programming, which guides researchers through the questions they need to answer to develop their EDI plans, both for their teams/environments and for research design in projects.

What is the difference between the Inclusive Research Team and the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (EDI-R)? 

The Research Equity Team, the Office of EDI-R, and other roles and units on campus are aligned in their focus on embedding EDI-R throughout campus, including in systems, policies, and practices. This embedding is enabled by ensuring there are separate units and roles that differ in terms of area of focus and expertise. The Research Equity Team provides specialized support specific to the research ecosystem’s unique requirements, policies, nuances, and accountabilities in EDI.