This guide has offered some ideas for how to begin, or improve, the process of negotiating research relationships between researchers from a variety of disciplines, and Inuit
communities in northern Canada. To summarize, it is recommended that researchers:
❖ consider, and address, community concerns and expectations when developing
a research project in or around a particular northern community;
❖ consider feasible opportunities for local involvement in a research project;
❖ initiate community contact as early as possible, and keep local contacts informed
about research progress and results throughout the duration of the research;
❖ incorporate relevant key elements when negotiating a research relationship with
a community;
❖ determine the appropriate level of community involvement (for both the community and the researcher) in various research stages – project design, field
work, data analysis and interpretation;
❖ start early in identifying, and applying for, all relevant research licenses or permits required for your project, under various jurisdictions; and,
❖ choose appropriate and effective means of communicating research results to
communities.
For more information on anything mentioned in this guide, please contact the Inuit
Tapiriit Kanatami or the Nunavut Research Institute.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Health & Environment Department
170 Laurier Ave. West, Suite 510
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5V5
Phone: (613) 238-8181
Fax: (613) 233-2116
Website: www.itk.ca
Nunavut Research Institute
Research Liaison
P.O. Box 1720
Iqaluit, Nunavut
X0A 0H0
Phone: (867) 979-7279
Fax: (867) 979-7109
Website: www.nri.nu.ca
Useful Links
A number of useful websites have been compiled, and made available on the Inuit
Tapiriit Kanatami webpage (www.itk.ca). There, you will find more information on ethical guidelines and codes of conduct, northern research resources, northern
research funding, and key northern agencies or organizations. Due to the
dynamic nature of electronic information dissemination, and high turnover rates in many
northern organizations, these links are available online to ensure that information is as
accurate and up to date as possible. However, some of the key licensing and permitting
agencies have been identified in Appendix A and B, respectively.
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N EGOTIATING R ESEARCH R ELATIONSHIPS W ITH I NUIT C OMMUNITIES