Applying biocultural research protocols in ecology: Insider and outsider experiences from Australia

Summary Collaborations between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous scientific researchers are increasingly mandated by global to local conservation policy and research ethics guidelines. Breakdowns occur due to misunderstandings around expected protocols of engagement and cooperation, which are compounded...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecological management & restoration 2022-01, Vol.23 (S1), p.64-74
Main Authors: Cooke, Patrick, Fahey, Monica, Ens, Emilie J., Raven, Margaret, Clarke, Philip A., Rossetto, Maurizio, Turpin, Gerry
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
cross‐cultural ecology
Cultural values
Dispersal
Ecology
Environmental policy
Ethical standards
Ethics
First Nations knowledge
Guidelines
Indigenous biocultural knowledge
Indigenous engagement
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous research ethics
Native peoples
Rainforests
Research ethics
two‐way ecology
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Summary:Summary Collaborations between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous scientific researchers are increasingly mandated by global to local conservation policy and research ethics guidelines. Breakdowns occur due to misunderstandings around expected protocols of engagement and cooperation, which are compounded by lack of broader awareness of differences in cultural values, priorities and knowledge systems. Using first‐hand experiences, we outline eight key protocols and guidelines that researchers should consider when undertaking research with Indigenous peoples, or on Indigenous Country, through exploration of biocultural protocols and guidelines within Australian and Indigenous customary laws. We use the onion as a metaphor to highlight the layers of protocols and guidelines that researchers can peel back to guide their research from international to local scales, with ethics around the research question at the core. This paper draws on the perspectives and experiences of an Indigenous researcher (as ‘insider’/‘outsider’) and non‐Indigenous researcher (‘outsider’), working on a cross‐cultural and multidisciplinary investigation of past Aboriginal dispersal of rainforest trees on the Australian east coast. This paper is part of the special issue ‘Indigenous and cross-cultural ecology - perspectives from Australia’ published in Ecological Management & Restoration.
ISSN:1442-7001
1442-8903
DOI:10.1111/emr.12545