Can research ethics codes be a conduit for justice? An examination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guidelines in Australia, and the VACCHO accord
Deborah Zion1, Richard Matthews Victoria University Footscray 1Victoria University, Footscray, VIC, Australia
Abstract
Background
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have historically experienced “outsider” research as a further means of colonialization and oppression. Since the 1990s the NHMRC through consultation has sought to develop guidance documents that seek to redress the injustices of the past and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and researchers alike. The most recent guidelines: Ethical Conduct in Research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Communities: Guidelines for Researchers and Stakeholders, 2018, emphasis six core values which are bound together by “spirit and integrity.” In 2023, VACCHO has lead a consultation that has resulted in a Research Accord to provide further guidance.
Discussion
We examine whether the extent to which these guidelines can lead to research and research practices that redress some of the ongoing traumas of colonialization and racism. We draw upon Margaret Urban Walker’s formulation of restorative justice, based upon her “pragmatics of repair” which relies upon “voice, validation and vindication” and at its core, the restoration of relationships. We also examine on what terms non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers can conduct research that will lead to justice and restoration. We will also include the idea of epistemic justice that is a formulation of justice that emphasises which voices count.
Conclusion
The project of developing research ethics for Indigenous and First Nations peoples is an ongoing project requiring a rethinking of power and economic and cultural relationships, including ceding power and decolonialistion .
Biography
Bio to come