Research and Information Protocols Template

Place Logo Here		__________ Nation
Name of Policy: Research and Information Protocols (Version ##)

The purpose of these protocols is to ensure that, in all research that involves or relates to the __________ Nation, the __________ Nation is able to protect its people, culture and history and to ensure that appropriate respect is given to them. Information is central to the work of the __________ Nation. Like other core assets -- people, physical infrastructure, financial resources, and technology -- information must be managed to enable the government to meet its policy and service goals.

EFFECTIVE DATE

YYYY-MM-DD

BACKGROUND

These protocols apply to all persons conducting research projects that relate to the _______ Nation, including its treaty negotiations, who wish to consult with members of the ________ Nation and use their oral history, cultural heritage resources, the Traditional Use Study Library, the _________ Nation archives or other cultural information. These protocols apply equally to researchers working on behalf of the _______ Treaty Council and to those working for other groups, agencies or organizations both within and outside the _______ Nation. First Nations have been repositories of information from time immemorial. Information is central to the well being of First Nations.

PURPOSE

These protocols seek to manage existing as well as newly created information in a way that is respectful to all parties involved. Like other core assets -- people, physical infrastructure, financial resources, and technology, information must be managed to enable a First Nation to preserve and access its culture, to meet its policy and service goals, to plan and make good decisions for the Nation and to meet its accountability obligations.

Information is managed to meet requirements for the Nation as a whole, including languages requirements, what information is used, how it is organized, described, etc., as well as the specific requirements determined by operational needs and accountabilities. As the Nation increasingly uses information technologies to implement these requirements, integrating information management requirements with technology planning ensures that digital information is protected, accessible, shareable, and usable over time and through technological change.

PROTOCOLS

Researchers must familiarize themselves with the _________ Tribal and Treaty Councils, the Elders Group and the ________ Nation member bands and observe their respective governing rules and protocols concerning communications within the community, such as approaches required to access the relevant information and knowledge.

All requests for information, use of cultural heritage resources, use of the Traditional Use Study Library and the ________ Nation library, resources and interviews with community members or groups must be addressed in writing to the ________ Nation Council Administrator or another individual designated by the _______ Nation. The request must set out the aims; scope and anticipated results of the research project, including the potential impacts and any possible risks. The Administrator or other designated individual will provide details of the request to the _________ Nation Councils and any other appropriate group or person for their review. After receiving any comments and advice from the __________ Nation Councils and any other group or person who has been requested to provide advice, the Elders Group will approve or deny the request. (Note: Cultural heritage resources include moveable heritage resources, sacred or heritage sites and documentary heritage resources.)

If approval is given by the Elders Group for the research project to proceed, researchers must consult with the Elders Group and any other groups or individuals which the Elders Group directs them to contact in order to determine who are the appropriate community members or groups to approach for the particular types of information being sought.

After consulting with the Elders Group and anyone else that the Elders Group has directed them to contact, researchers may approach individual community members or groups for interviews. Where researchers intend to interview an individual or group, they must provide them with information about the purpose and nature of the research activities, including the potential impacts and any possible risks, prior to seeking their consent. No individual may be interviewed alone or as part of a group unless that individual has given his or her informed consent.

Where appropriate, researchers must ensure that a representative cross-section of community experiences and perceptions is included in their research.

Researchers have an obligation to inform participants that they have the right to indicate that some or all of the information they are providing is to be treated as confidential. If a participant indicates that certain information is to be treated as confidential, the researcher must request that the participant identify the purposes, if any, for which that information may be used.

Researchers must abide by any requests for confidentiality made to them by participants.

No pressure may be applied to induce participation in research.

Participants must be informed that they are free to withdraw from the research at any time.

Researchers must fairly compensate participants by providing suitable financial honoraria and reimbursing any of the participant's expenses.

Researchers must give credit in their research report to all participants.

Researchers have an obligation to assess the potential impacts on and any possible risks of the project to the ________ Nation or its members and to inform the Elders Group, the _________ Nation Councils of those impacts and risks. Wherever possible, conflicts between interests within the community must be identified and resolved in advance of commencing the project.

Research must support, to the extent possible, the transfer of skills to individuals in the community and increase the capacity of the community to manage its own research.

RESEARCH RESULTS

Researchers have an obligation to provide the Elders Group, the ________ Nation Councils with an opportunity to review the research results and provide comments before the final product is completed.

Researchers must provide one copy of the final product of the research project to all ___________ Nation Councils and appropriate groups.

IMPLEMENTATION

This Code must be included in all research contracts with individuals, groups, agencies and organizations conducting research authorized by the __________ Nation.

Every person to whom this Code applies is required, prior to commencing their research, to sign an agreement stating that they have read and understand the Code and that they agree to be bound by it.

It is be the responsibility of the ___________ Nation Council to monitor the implementation of the Code and to make decisions regarding its interpretation and application, as well as compliance with its provisions.

REVIEW

The ____________ Nation Council will review this Code at least once every calendar year.

AMENDMENTS

From time to time, the _______ Nation Councils may by mutual agreement amend this Code.

COPIES OF CODE

An up-to-date copy of this Code, including any amendments that have been adopted, may be obtained from the ________ Nation Council office.

ADOPTION

This Code comes into force once it has been approved by the ____________ Nation Council.

Approved by:

___________________________

Elders Group representative

Approved by:

___________________________

Authorized representative of

_____________ Nation Council