Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS) 2 Core Practice Exam

In Indigenous-focused research, involving the community early is essential because it centers respect, reciprocity, and self-determination from the start. Beginning engagement before seeking ethics review allows researchers to co-design the study with community members, ensuring the research questions, methods, and planned activities align with community priorities and governance norms. It also helps establish data ownership and stewardship expectations (such as OCAP principles), determine who has decision-making authority, and set up appropriate consent and dissemination plans. When communities are involved from the outset, there’s a clearer path for any necessary community approvals and governance requirements, which can influence the study design and the ethics review that follows.

Engagement after data collection or only optional engagement undermines these protections, and waiting for consent without community input can privilege researcher perspectives over community rights and interests.