Students
ABST3025 – Indigenous Research Methodologies
2021 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde
Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update
The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.
This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.
Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Tristan Kennedy
Bronwyn Carlson
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(ABST1000 or ABST100) and (ABST2020 or ABST202 or ABST2060 or ABST2035)
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit examines contemporary and historical research practices and explores decolonising and Indigenist research methodologies. This unit also provides students with the skills and knowledge to engage in ethical research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Students are guided by a range of documents outlining ethical research practices including, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research guidelines, the National Health and Medical Research Council's, Values and Ethics: Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research (Values and Ethics) and Macquarie University Ethics Approval process.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Critically consider specific texts by Indigenous Australian people in the light of the above understandings.
- ULO2: Justify your role as an Indigenous or non-Indigenous researcher or practitioner undertaking research or work with Indigenous communities.
- ULO3: Explain the principles of a range of Indigenous Research Methodologies appropriate for application in research with Indigenous peoples.
- ULO4: Apply appropriate Indigenous Studies theoretical frameworks to resolve a range of ethical problems in Indigenous research.
- ULO5: Critically reflect on current issues in Indigenous affairs and develop a proposal for small research project to address the problem.
- ULO6: Interpret and communicate the principles of current Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies guidelines to Indigenous community and professional audiences.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Proposal | 40% | No | 5th November |
| Review Essay | 30% | No | 3rd September |
| Tutorial Activities | 30% | No | Weekly |
Research Proposal
Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 5th November
Weighting: 40%
This assessment task requires you to develop a research proposal. You will draw on your background research in the previous two assessment tasks.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Justify your role as an Indigenous or non-Indigenous researcher or practitioner undertaking research or work with Indigenous communities.
- Apply appropriate Indigenous Studies theoretical frameworks to resolve a range of ethical problems in Indigenous research.
- Critically reflect on current issues in Indigenous affairs and develop a proposal for small research project to address the problem.
- Interpret and communicate the principles of current Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies guidelines to Indigenous community and professional audiences.
Review Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 3rd September
Weighting: 30%
In this task you will select one Indigenous research methods text from a list provided. You will be required to do a short presentation in class and submit a written review.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically consider specific texts by Indigenous Australian people in the light of the above understandings.
- Explain the principles of a range of Indigenous Research Methodologies appropriate for application in research with Indigenous peoples.
Tutorial Activities
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 30%
Active participation in weekly online tutorial activities. These will be available on a weekly basis on iLearn.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically consider specific texts by Indigenous Australian people in the light of the above understandings.
- Explain the principles of a range of Indigenous Research Methodologies appropriate for application in research with Indigenous peoples.
- Apply appropriate Indigenous Studies theoretical frameworks to resolve a range of ethical problems in Indigenous research.
- Critically reflect on current issues in Indigenous affairs and develop a proposal for small research project to address the problem.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Recommended Readings
Allen, C., 2007, ‘Rere Ke/Moving Differently: Indigenizing Methodologies for Comparative Indigenous Literary Studies’, Journal of New Zealand Literature, 24:2, pp. 1-26.
Andersen, C., 2009, ‘Critical Indigenous Studies: From difference to density’, Cultural Studies Review, 15:2, pp. 80-100.
Ball, J., & Janyst, P., 2008, ‘Enacting research ethics in partnerships with indigenous communities in Canada: “Do it in a good way”, Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 3:2, pp. 33-51.
Beaton, B., Perley, D., George, C. & O’Donnell, S. (2017). Engaging Remote Indigenous Communities Using Appropriate Online Research Methods. In N. Fielding, R. M. Lee & G. Blank (eds.), The Sage handbook of online research methods - 2nd edition, Sage. London, UK. Pp. 563-577.
Bessarab D., & Ngandu, B., 2010, ‘Yarning About Yarning as a Legitimate Method in Indigenous Research’, International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 3:1, pp. 37-50.
Bin-Sallik, M., 2003, ‘Cultural Safety: Let’s Name it!’, Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 32, pp. 21-28.
Carew, M., Green, J., Kral, I., Nordlinger, R. and Singer, R., 2015. Getting in touch: Language and digital inclusion in Australian Indigenous communities. Language Documentation & Conservation, 9.
Castejon, V., K. Hughes, O. Haag, & A. Cole, 2014, Ngapatji Ngapatji: In turn, in turn: Ego-histoire, Europe and Indigenous Australia, ANU Press: Canberra.
Coles, T., Hall, C.M. and Duval, D.T., 2016. Tourism and postdisciplinarity: Back to the future?. Tourism Analysis, 21(4), pp.373-387.
Cram, F. and Mertens, D.M., 2016. Negotiating solidarity between indigenous and transformative paradigms in evaluation. Evaluation Matters—He Take Tō Te Aromatawai, 2, pp.161-189.
Czaykowska-Higgins, E., ‘Research models, community engagement, and linguistic fieldwork: Reflections on working within Canadian Indigenous communities’, Language Documentation & Conservation, 3:1, pp. 15-50.
Foley, D., 2003, ‘Indigenous Epistemology and Indigenous Standpoint Theory’, Social Alternatives, 22:1, pp. 44-52.
Harkin, N., 2017, ‘On Responsibility’, Overland, 226, 51.
Henderson, R., Simmons, D. S., Bourke, L., & Muir, J. 2002, ‘Development of guidelines for non-Indigenous people undertaking research among the Indigenous population of north-east Victoria, Medical Journal of Australia, 176:10, pp. 482-485.
Hitchcock, R., 2002, ‘Repatriation, indigenous peoples, and development lessons from Africa, North America, and Australia, Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, 15:1, pp. 57-66.
Houts L & Feagin J, 2001, Racing Research, Researching Race: Methodological Dilemmas in Critical Race Studies by France Winddance Twine and Jonathan W. Warren, Contemporary Sociology, 30:5, pp. 541-542
Kavelin, C., 2008, ‘Universities as the Gatekeepers of the Intellectual Property of Indigenous People's Medical Knowledge’, The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 37, pp. 34-45.
Martin, K., 2008, Please Knock Before You Enter: Aboriginal regulation of outsiders and the implications for researchers, Post Pressed: Teneriffe, QLD.
McGregor, D., 2004, "Coming full circle: Indigenous knowledge, environment, and our future." American Indian Quarterly. 28.3/4.
Mertens, D.M., 2017. Transformative research: personal and societal. International Journal for Transformative Research, 4(1), pp.18-24.
Moreton-Robinson, A., 2015, 'Toward a new research agenda: Foucault, whiteness, and sovereignty', The White Possessive: Property, Power, and Indigenous Sovereignty, University of Minnesota Press.
Nakata, M., 2006, ‘Australian Indigenous Studies: A Question of Discipline’, The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 17:3, pp. 265-275.
Nakata, M., 2007, Disciplining the savages, savaging the disciplines, Aboriginal Studies Press: Canberra, ACT.
Nakata, M., et al., 2012, ‘Decolonial goals and pedagogies for Indigenous studies’, Decolonization: indigeneity, education & society, 1:1, pp. 120-140.
Porsanger, J., 2004, ‘An Essay about Indigenous Methodology’, Nordlit : Tidsskrift i litteratur og kultur, 8:1, pp. 105-120.
Reilly, M., 2011, 'Māori Studies, Past and Present: A Review', The Contemporary Pacific, 23:2, pp. 340-370.
Rigney, L., 1999, ‘Internationalization of an Indigenous Anticolonial Cultural Critique of Research Methodologies: A Guide to Indigenist Research Methodology and Its Principles, Wicazo Sa Review, 14:2, pp.109-121.
Tuhiwai Smith, L., 2012, ‘Towards Developing Indigenous Methodologies: Kaupapa Maori Research’ in Tuhiwai Smith, Decolonizing Methodologies, Zed Books, New York, pp. 297-314.
Tuhiwai Smith, L., 2012, Decolonizing Methodologies: research and indigenous peoples, Zed Books: New York.
Warrior, R., 2009. ‘Native American Scholarship and the transnational turn’, Cultural Studies Review, 15:2, pp. 119-131.
Wilson, S., 2001, ‘What is Indigenous Research Methodology?, Canadian Journal of Native Education, 25:2, pp. 175-179.
Wilson, S., 2008, Research is Ceremony: indigenous research methods, Fernwood Publishing: Black Point, N.S.
Unit Schedule
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Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
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Protocols for Indigenous Studies
In Australia there are two distinct Indigenous peoples: Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people.
When writing about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders do not use the acronym ‘ATSI’, write in full. Capital letters should always be used when referring to Aboriginal peoples and or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are acceptable terms to use, it should be recognised that these are collective terms and often used improperly to impose a single identity on the many different communities.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people generally prefer to be known by the language/cultural groups or communities, to which they belong, that is, own names rather than terms such 'the Aboriginals' or 'the Islanders'. For example, Aboriginal people in the area surrounding Macquarie University may refer to themselves as Dharug. It is important that you always check the correct name or terms to use for people in the area/region.
The use of incorrect, inappropriate or dated terminology is to be avoided as it can give offence. Many historical terms or those in common usage some years ago are now not acceptable, including terms such as 'aborigine' ‘native’, ‘savage’ and ‘primitive’. Similarly, do not use the terms ‘half-caste’, ‘part-Aborigine/Aboriginal’ or any reference to skin colour or physical features, as they do not signify that a person is Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and may cause offence. When quoting from academic or other sources that uses inappropriate, dated terminology or racists language, use (sic) directly after the inappropriate term of phrase, thus calling attention to the fact that it has been sourced from the original and that you understand it to be outdated, inappropriate or problematic in the contemporary context.
Unit information based on version 2021.01R of the Handbook