Abstract
This article describes the way a multidisciplinary research team set about 'Aboriginalising' their research processes in the initial phase of a project that aimed to develop a culturally appropriate model of care for urban Aboriginal people with diabetes. Although academic conventions and protocols tended to dominate, the project incorporated the innovative approach that the Aboriginal researchers brought to the process of recruiting and facilitating focus groups, which they likened to 'hunting and gathering'. In developing and strengthening partnerships between research institutions and Aboriginal communities, it is important that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal researchers challenge the conventional academic models of research in ways that are culturally appropriate and informed by Aboriginal scholarship. This article illustrates the difficulties and challenges on both sides of the partnership. It concludes by outlining the key principles learnt during the first phase of the project.
Highlights
When a multidisciplinary group of researchers at the University of Melbourne was awarded a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to look atImproving mainstream diabetes care for Aboriginal Australians in urban settings‘,1 it was clear to the researchers that the study must embrace an Aboriginal approach to ensure that the outcomes would be culturally appropriate
This expressed a common feeling among Aboriginal people at the time, that research was a negative experience with no beneficial outcomes (VicHealth Koori Health Research and Community Development Unit 2000)
Indigenous scholars and advocacy organisations call for partnerships between the diverse Indigenous communities, Aboriginal community controlled health organisations, research organisations and researchers (Smith 2008; Watson et al 2010)
Summary
When a multidisciplinary group of researchers at the University of Melbourne was awarded a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to look atImproving mainstream diabetes care for Aboriginal Australians in urban settings‘,1 it was clear to the researchers that the study must embrace an Aboriginal approach to ensure that the outcomes would be culturally appropriate. Phase 1 consisted of focus groups and one-to-one interviews with key stakeholders (community members with diabetes, service providers and policy makers) to explore the enablers and barriers for Aboriginal people with diabetes to accessing urban mainstream services; phase 2 involved developing a culturally appropriate care model for implementation and evaluation in selected primary care services. This article describes the thinking, approach and methods used in phase 1 of our study to ensure that Aboriginal voices were heard in dialogue with a framework that respects and enhances the Aboriginal presence and subsequent results. This process was described by the research team as ‘Aboriginalising our research‘. We argue that by Indigenising Western methodologies a culturally appropriate research approach has strengthened both our data collection and analysis
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