A Toolkit for Ethical and Culturally Sensitive Research: An Application with Indigenous Communities

Abstract

Given the complex historical context of research with indigenous communities, there is an ethical imperative to ensure cultural sensitivity in research with these populations. Despite this need, there is a lack of practical guidance based on empirical results to conduct culturally sensitive research. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry is twofold. First, Part 1 identifies strategies for culturally sensitive research with indigenous communities in the USA. Second, Part 2 applies culturally sensitive strategies to a specific research setting with an indigenous community. Part 1 uses a qualitative descriptive study with 13 indigenous and non-indigenous researchers to identify strategies for cultural sensitivity in research. Part 2 applies identified strategies to a rigorous critical ethnography with indigenous communities. Emergent themes from Part 1 include the impact of history, relational research, incorporating cultural sensitivity and strengths, demonstrating patience, and negotiating multiple perspectives. These themes inform a researcher's toolkit for cultural sensitivity, which is applied to a localized setting in Part 2. Cultural sensitivity enhances the quality and usefulness of research, which is better able to address the pressing problems experienced by some indigenous communities.

Cultural Competence and Ethical Decision Making for Health Care Professionals

“…the Ref. [30], conducted a two part qualitative research study on cultural sensitivity in research. In Part 1, they identified strategies for cultural sensitivity in research in a descriptive qualitative study.…”

“…the Ref. [30], describe a toolkit for ethical and culturally sensitive research. The themes from part one of their study inform the toolkit, which includes the impact of history, relational research, incorporating cultural sensitivity and strengths, demonstrating patience, and negotiating multiple perspectives.…”

“…the Ref. [30]. Increasing the amount of culturally sensitive research has the consequence of enabling health care professions to better serve their consumers, Cf.…”

A Culturally Sensitive Approach to Large-Scale Prevention Studies: A Case Study of a Randomized Controlled Trial With Low-Income Latino Communities

“…While our framework borrows heavily from Rogler (1989), there is a sizable literature on culturally sensitive research from the fields of education (Tillman, 2002), psychology (APA, 2003; Cabassa & Baumann, 2013), and from studies focusing on indigenous communities (Burnette et al, 2014). The extant literature is important to consider because it details the struggles facing the larger scientific and academic community to recognize that dominant paradigms, and the scientific endeavor itself, have been associated with a white middle-class European or European-American perspective (Constantine & Sue, 2005; Gordon, 1997; Padilla, 2004).…”

“…Prior qualitative and quantitative research has appreciably advanced the importance of using a culturally sensitive approach (APA, 2003; Burnette, Sanders, Butcher, & Rand, 2014; Rogler, 1989; Padilla, 2004). However, this research has not included a substantial focus on the methods utilized by most prevention researchers: RCTs and evaluation research.…”