Key Issues to Address
Elements of a negotiated research relationship
Researchers are increasingly encouraged to engage Inuit communities in northern
research.This requires both sides to negotiate a research relationship whereby they jointly
define their respective roles and responsibilities, outlining mutual benefits and expectations. Research relationships mean different things in different contexts. In some
instances, where the research fieldwork requires direct community involvement and
where the community wants to be involved, both parties may wish to draw up a formal
research agreement. In other cases, where local involvement is not possible or not desired by the community, informal arrangements may be sufficient.A few suggestions that
might help researchers in the negotiation process are to:
❖ Be honest – Be straightforward with community members about potential
limits to community participation in various phases of your project, and about the
extent to which your project can and cannot address local needs. Avoid promises that you may not be able to fulfill.
❖ Be humble – Community members are not necessarily impressed by university
credentials or large grant affiliations. Make a genuine effort to be taught by local
people.
❖ Be informed – Find out as much as you can prior to meeting/visiting so that
you can better ask, and answer, questions (e.g. what previous research has been
undertaken and what are the community demographics and socio-economic
characteristics, etc.). This may include language preparation or training courses
(e.g. introduction to the local Inuktitut dialect and/or cultural practices).
❖ Be open – Let people know what you hope to do, what you’re doing in their
town, and what your future plans are. Respond to feedback as best you can.
❖ Be patient – Spend a few days getting to know people in the community before initiating meetings or research activities. Keep in mind that community members may have more pressing daily matters to attend to than research priorities
and timelines. Remember that various Inuktitut dialects are not always easy to
translate into English (and vice versa), take time to clarify anything that does
not seem clear.
❖ Express a willingness to learn – This will help you hear, and perhaps include, community concerns or interests within your research project. It is also
very much appreciated by community members, and will likely ensure smoother
research progress and a more reciprocal relationship.
A G UIDE F OR R ESEARCHERS
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