Community-Based Research (CBR) with Indigenous communities should consider the potential harms caused in the research process, researchers' positionality, privacy and generalization. Historically, research on Indigenous communities has often caused harm, including misrepresentation, stigmatization, and exploitation, which leads to a deep mistrust of research within Indigenous populations (Hayward et al., 2021). Without proper consent, appropriation or commercialization of traditional knowledge can cause further harm and offense (Panel on Research Ethics, 2022). Reflexivity is the key. Researchers must critically examine their positionality and the power dynamics during the research (Sommer, 2018). 

To rectify these past injustices, CBR seeks to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities, respect individual autonomy, and honor collective community rights and interests. Engaging Indigenous communities as equal partners throughout the research process is crucial for building trust, ensuring cultural relevance, and promoting reciprocal benefits (Waddell et al., 2020). When the research is likely to affect their welfare, researchers must engage Indigenous communities. When research is conducted on Indigenous lands, involving Indigenous identity, cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and the interpretation of research results related to Indigenous communities, it is important to understand and respect the formal rules or oral customs specific to each community (Panel on Research Ethics, 2022). For example, Indigenous communities may have complex authority structures, including formal leadership, customary authority, and overlapping responsibilities among different groups. Engaging with Elders and other knowledge holders will help incorporate traditional knowledge and cultural norms into the research. Seeking community advice will ensure appropriate recognition and compensation for these individuals' contributions (Panel on Research Ethics, 2022). 

It is inappropriate to generalize community engagement because Indigenous communities are diverse, with different levels of education, mobility, generational differences, and mixed ancestry. The engagement process should be tailored to the community's characteristics and the research's nature by clarifying mutual expectations and obligations between researchers and stakeholders (Panel on Research Ethics, 2022). It is important to respect the privacy and confidentiality of both individuals and communities, which involves addressing how personal information will be managed and ensuring that community customs regarding privacy are integrated into the research process. Anonymization could be challenging because of dense social networks in small Indigenous communities; researchers must take extra steps to protect participant identities (Panel on Research Ethics, 2022). Prioritizing the ethical principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP) when developing research protocols ensures that Indigenous communities maintain control over their data and knowledge (Stevenson, 2016).

Blind, M., Jacklin, K., Pitawanakwat, K., Ketcher, D., Lambrou, N., & Warry, W. (2023). Training Indigenous Community Researchers for Community-Based Participatory Ethnographic Dementia Research: A Second-Generation Model. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231202202

Fournier, C., Rand, J. R., Pictou, S., Murphy, K., Martin, D., Pride, T., Amirault, M., Cunsolo, A., Doucette, M., Sheppard, D.-A., Benoit, A. C., McMillan, J., & Sylliboy, J. (2024). Indigenous community engagement requirements for academic journals. AlterNative : An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 20(1), 243–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801241235051

Hayward, A., Sjoblom, E., Sinclair, S., & Cidro, J. (2021). A New Era of Indigenous Research: Community-based Indigenous Research Ethics Protocols in Canada. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 16(4), 403–417. https://doi.org/10.1177/15562646211023705

Ninomiya, M. E. M., Hurley N., & Penashue J. (2020) A decolonizing method of inquiry: using institutional ethnography to facilitate community-based research and knowledge translation, Critical Public Health, 30(2), 220-231. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2018.1541228

Panel on Research Ethics. (2022). TCPS 2: Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada. Government of Canada. https://ethics.gc.ca/eng/tcps2-eptc2_2018_chapter9-chapitre9.html

Stevenson, S. A. (2016). Toward a Narrative Ethics: Indigenous Community-Based Research, the Ethics of Narrative, and the Limits of Conventional Bioethics. Qualitative Inquiry, 22(5), 365–376. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800415625689

Sommers, L. J. (2018). Insurgent Economics: Reflections on Community-Based Research and First Nations-Settler Entity Economic Relationships. Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development, 11(1), 31–39. https://doi.org/10.54056/BPVA1330

Waddell, C. M., Herron, R. V., Gobeil, J., Tacan, F., De Jager, M., Allan, J. A., & Roger, K. (2020). Grounded in Culture: Reflections on Sitting Outside the Circle in Community-Based Research With Indigenous Men. Qualitative Health Research, 30(14), 2343–2350. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732320960050