Ethical guidelines for Sami research: the issue that disappeared from the Norwegian Sami Parliament's agenda?

Abstract

BackgroundIn recent decades many indigenous communities, policy makers and researchers worldwide have criticized the academic community for not being aware of the specific challenges these communities have faced and still are facing with regard to research. One result of the decades of discourse in indigenous communities is the development in many Western countries of indigenously sensitive ethical research guidelines. In 1997 the Sami Parliament (SP) in Norway reached a unanimous decision that ethical guidelines for Sami research had to be drawn up. Such guidelines are however still to be created.ObjectivesThe objectives of this article are to enquire into what happened to the Norwegian SP's decision of 1997 and to reflect on why the issue seems to have disappeared from the SP's agenda. Finally, we consider whether research ethics is to be a subject for the research community only.MethodsA review of parliamentary white papers on research and SP documents relating to research ethics.FindingsThe response to the SP's decision in 1997 took place in two different channels, both of them national, namely the research ethics channel and the political channel. Thus, there were actually two parallel processes taking place. In spite of nearly two decades of reports, the concept of the participation of indigenous communities in research is still not an integral part of Norwegian ethical guidelines.ConclusionsThe issue of indigenously sensitive research ethics seems to have disappeared from the SP's agenda and the research ethics review system with regard to Sami research is with minor adjustments the same as when the SP asked for a revision.

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Ethical and methodological issues in research with Sami experiencing disability

“…In 1997, the Sami Parliament in Norway reached a unanimous decision that ethical guidelines for Sami research had to be drawn up. Such guidelines are, however, still to be created ( 21 ). Hence, today Sami indigenous research in Norway is in the situation that the concept of the participation of indigenous communities in research is not an integral part of the Norwegian ethical guidelines ( 21 ).…”

“…However, this is not the case in Norway. Where it is up to the individual researcher or research institution to decide whether and how to involve the indigenous (Sami) community perspective in their research projects ( 21 ). However, in 1997, the Sami Parliament in Norway reached a unanimous decision that ethical guidelines for Sami research had to be drawn up.…”

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“…In 2002, The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (NESH) arranged a conference on Sámi research ethics. Stordahl et al (2015) advocates the necessity for special ethical regulations and guidelines for research within Sámi communities to secure the involvement of the indigenous community in research. In their analysis of ethical regulations for the inclusion of children in research, Strandbu and Thørnblad (2010) ask whether the protection of children can lead to a one-sided emphasis on problems when it comes to this group.…”

“…When ethical regulations protect vulnerable groups, this may result in the unnecessary exclusion of groups from research. To date, no specific guidelines for research in Sámi communities have been developed (Stordahl et al, 2015: 1-2). The question following Strandbu and Thørnblad (2010) analysis is whether community involvement should be integrated in general ethical regulations rather than handled by separate committees.…”