❖ When considering all possible permitting, licensing, and ethical approvals
required for any particular research project it would be prudent to begin inquiring about regulations, and applying to the appropriate agencies, at least one
year in advance of the proposed project start date. These efforts will help to
avoid delays in field work timing or research progress.
Obtaining research permits is not normally as onerous or difficult for researchers as
it is frequently portrayed to be, and the benefits researchers accrue through licensing
usually outweigh the costs. In both the NWT and Nunavut, the research institutes have full
time licensing officers who are responsible for tracking the evolving regulatory environment. They can assist researchers in identifying requirements and making contact with
appropriate permitting and screening agencies. The institutes can also provide licensed
researchers with logistic and field support (e.g. equipment storage, lab and office space,
computer use, local transport assistance) and discounted accommodation.
Addressing the key issues identified in this guide can help minimize community
objections to proposed research, and ensure that the necessary approvals are obtained
as easily and quickly as possible. However, it is impractical to attempt to provide a recipe
that guarantees the same effective result every time. Sometimes, although rare, it is
impossible for community members and researchers to reach an agreeable compromise
on conflicting issues; however, the suggestions provided in this guide have been shown
to be helpful when appropriately adapted to each community-researcher relationship.
Communication strategy
Developing an effective and appropriate communication strategy can be pivotal in
gaining, and maintaining, community support for/involvement in a particular research
project. Regardless of the negotiated level of community involvement, communication
and results reporting (interim and final) require advance planning and are ongoing,
iterative processes. Communication may range from simple results reporting to collaborative, reciprocal knowledge-sharing. Furthermore, communication is a key element in
determining the desired, and appropriate, level of community involvement in the research
design, field work, and interpretation/analysis research stages (p. 8-10). The lowest levels of involvement consist basically of informing communities about the project, and the
eventual results. The more involved the community becomes in a research project, the
more there is a two-way information flow, whereby the maintenance of ongoing discussions, feedback, and compromise are necessitated.
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N EGOTIATING R ESEARCH R ELATIONSHIPS W ITH I NUIT C OMMUNITIES