IMPLEMENTING CHAPTER 9 OF THE TRI-COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT ON THE ETHICS OF RESEARCH INVOLVING ABORIGINAL PEOPLES IN CANADA: HOW’S THAT GOING?

Abstract

The second edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans was introduced in 2010 along with Chapter 9, titled ‘Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada’. The goal of this study was to explore how Chapter 9 is implemented and adhered to in research involving Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia. Interviews with health researchers, research ethics board representatives, financial services administrators and health directors working in Mi’kmaq communities revealed that researchers who worked with Mi’kmaq communities adhered to Chapter 9, Mi’kmaq communities wanted more control of research, Mi’kmaq communities lacked capacity to participate fully in research, health directors and financial services administrators had limited knowledge of Chapter 9, research ethics board representatives and financial services administrators lacked an understanding of research in Mi’kmaq communities, and research ethics board representatives and researchers found Chapter 9 vague. Recommendations to reduce barriers are included.