Terminology for BREB Applications

To be considered community-based (or community-involved) research in the BREB context, there should be meaningful involvement from the community (however defined, see ICCO) in developing the goals, design, and methods of the research project. Not all research partners may want to be hands-on with administration of the research project, so evidence of how a project is community based may include differing levels of oversight and/or contribution. It may be easier to demonstrate that a research project is community based if the aims originated from a First Nation or Indigenous community. Equally valid forms of community engagement include:

• Involving Indigenous partners in a funding application or supporting a funding application that originates in the community
• Submitting the research proposal to a First Nation research review board for its consideration and approval, prior to funding applications or finalizing the research scope/aims
• Collaborating with an agency or consulting firm that provides services to the community

As a reminder, ethics approval is not required while engaging with a community for the purpose of developing research methods and materials or clarifying the research goals and outcomes. If there is a possibility that data may be gathered during the engagement phase, you are encouraged to reach out to the BREB beforehand to discuss your options for ensuring informed consent. communityapproval

Community approval

Community approval can be confirmed in various forms, depending on the norms or protocols of the ICCO with whom you are engaging. These could include:  

• a letter or email from an authorized community representative
• a signed research agreement
• approval of a research application form
• a terms-of-reference document
• Record of attendance at a scheduled band council meeting  

Your ethics application will need to describe how approvals have been/will be confirmed, and the relevant documents should be attached.

If you have completed all other preliminary steps, but the ICCO you are working with requires ethics approval before they will confirm their approval for you to proceed, the BREB will issue a conditional approval letter once all other ethical concerns have been addressed.  

If your research involves multiple sites with their own approval steps, you may want to submit your ethics application or proviso response after the first partner approval has been received. Subsequent confirmations of approval can be submitted through post-approval amendments (PAAs) to your ethics application. conditionalapproval

Conditional approval

The BREB may issue a “conditional approval letter” once all ethical concerns have been addressed in your application, but when external approvals or other required documents are still pending. The letter will specify what additional documents are required (e.g., sign off from a First Nation review committee, School Board approval, etc.). If they require it, the letter of conditional approval can be shared with external approvers to demonstrate that the BREB is satisfied with the ethics application. Conditional approval does not mean that research activity (recruitment, consent, scheduling participant events) can begin. Once the required documents have been uploaded to your ethics application and reviewed, a full certificate of approval will be issued and research activity involving participants can begin. consent

Consent

Consent guidance is provided on the main BREB website, but researchers are encouraged to incorporate the styles and norms of community partners as long as details are included to ensure fully informed consent. If oral consent is preferred, the BREB encourages researchers to provide a handout with important details to invitees. Please also document the script that will be used by the researcher to confirm oral consent and attach to the ethics application. culturallysensitiveresearchmaterial 

Culturally sensitive research material

The BREB may ask for information about culturally sensitive materials in order to understand whether additional protections are needed to manage research findings and their distribution. Materials may include oral or written narratives, performances, ceremonies, and regalia. The following clarifications in the ethics application will help the reviewer. 

Use of narratives: (a) Has the narrative already been widely shared (published on a website or discussed in a public forum)? (b) Are you able to identify the rightful owner/s? (c) Has explicit permission to use for research purposes been given by the owners?  

Use of images/photographs: (a) How were the images gathered? (b) Were the subjects in the image aware of their inclusion and did they consent to being included? (c) Is the image accurately referenced/catalogued?  

When developing your research ethics application, clarify whether the material being used is available to the general public with no explicit permissions required or if explicit permissions from owners or custodians is needed to authorize your use of the materials. earlyrelease

Early release of funds

Funds may be released prior to ethics approval for pre-research activities, including consultations/collaborations on research design. For full details, see: https://researchethics.ubc.ca/about-human-research-ethics/before-you-apply/requesting-early-release-funds. ICCO

ICCO (Indigenous communities, collectives and organizations)

BREB has adopted the term “ICCO” with permission from BCNEIHR. The phrase "Indigenous community, collective or organization" (shortened to ICCO) refers to Canadian populations (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit) as well as Indigenous entities within and outside Canada. ICCO may refer to: a First Nation, a collective of Indigenous communities, a community of practice or interest, an organization's Indigenous Advisory Board and/or its membership, a group of Elders who have agreed to steer the research project, or any combination of these.  

• An ICCO does not need to have a formal governance structure.  
• A “collective” may be a registered society or an informal grouping with expertise in the research topic, or brought together for the purpose of providing guidance or feedback  
• An “organization” might be represented by the management team, and/or could be members of an organization (e.g., Native Friendship Centre, an Indigenous consulting firm, youth group, health care service agency, or an advisory committee drawn from the local population) assigned for steering the research.  

You may need to reference any combination of the above in your ethics application. The BREB is looking for an idea of who may be affected or have an interest in the research outcomes and how they have been included in decisions about the research.  

Even if your research does not involve a formal, governing body, the BREB is still interested in knowing how and with whom you have engaged during the development of your research proposal and while finalizing research methods, etc., to ensure accountability to those who may be affected by your research activity and results.    

See the TCPS2 definition of Community.

Also see the NSERC guidance, “Indigenous Engagement and Collaboration Agreement Template.” indigenousfocusedresearch

Indigenous-focused research

If your research is likely to include commentary on an Indigenous community, peoples or lands, or involve Indigenous partners/collaborators, the BREB considers it to be Indigenous research. Some examples (as described in Section C of the TCPS2 Chapter 9) are:  

• Where recruitment criteria include Indigenous identity as a factor for the entire study or for a subgroup in the study  
• If the research is about a community’s cultural heritage, traditional knowledge or distinct characteristics  
• If Indigenous identity or membership in an Indigenous community is used as a variable for the purpose of data analysis  
• Where interpretation of research results will refer to Indigenous communities, peoples, languages, history or culture  
• If the research is conducted on and is about Indigenous lands, e.g., studying traditional place-based knowledge, fishing ecology, or mining practices

The UBC-BREB aligns with the definition provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) via its Indigenous Advisory Circle: “Research in any field or discipline that is conducted by, grounded in or engaged with First Nations, Inuit, Métis or other Indigenous nations, communities, societies or individuals, and their wisdom, cultures, experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present. Indigenous research can embrace the intellectual, physical, emotional and/or spiritual dimensions of knowledge in creative and interconnected relationships with people, places and the natural environment.  

“Whatever the methodologies or perspectives that apply in a given context, researchers who conduct Indigenous research, whether they are Indigenous or non-Indigenous themselves, commit to respectful relationships with all Indigenous peoples and communities.”  

For more detail, see Defining Indigenous Health Research. ocap

OCAP^®

The OCAP® principles were developed by the First Nations Governance Council and may be referenced in your research agreements and research ethics applications, if your research involves a Canadian First Nation; for example, you may reference the researchers’ commitment to upholding OCAP® principles. In addition to this reference, the ethics application will need to describe the methods being used to uphold the principles, e.g.:

• How the First Nation/s will be involved in making decisions about the project goals, scope and resulting data
• How the First Nation/s will be assured oversight of the research progress
• How data will be delivered and secured for future use by the First Nation/s

For more information, see The Fundamentals of OCAP®.

UBC’s Scholarly Integrity Policy (SC6, Article 2.1.4) requires that UBC Faculty store their research data in a UBC facility for 5 years after publication. However, UBC BREB understands that some community agreements may not allow for this, and data must be kept in community. When this is the case, ensure your ethics application describes the process for requesting access to the data, should it be needed. If acceptable, also store a copy of the data at UBC. protocols

Protocols