Principle 13:

Plans should be agreed for managing use of, and access to, research results.

Indigenous peoples make significant contributions to research by providing knowledge, resources and access to data. These contributions should be acknowledged by providing ongoing access for Indigenous people to research results, and negotiating rights in the research at an early stage.

The community’s expectations, the planned outcomes and access to research results should be agreed. Written agreements are encouraged.

Applying the principle

Identify at the start of a research project all Indigenous people, organisations and communities who will need to be involved in determining strategies for access to research results.

Agree on the rights to research results, their forms and presentation, and individual or community use of them. This may involve ongoing access to data or representations of the results of research through digital media.

Agree at the outset on the ownership of research results, including institutional ownership of data, individual rights of researchers and Indigenous participants, and collective rights of Indigenous community groups.

Agree when and how results of research will be fed back to and discussed with relevant individual community members and/or appropriate community organisations.

Make clear the level of community control over access to, and use of, any research results, including print, pictorial, audio and video, and digital materials. Discuss making these available online and/or depositing in libraries and archives.

Report research results to the community before publication and before discussion with the media.

Negotiate with the community any discussion with the media of the research project and its results.

Agree on the disposition and storage of results of research, including primary data.

Try to anticipate the evolving use of technology and the impact it could have on research results and their storage.

Discuss thoroughly matters of confidentiality and agreed restrictions on use of information.

Explain fully any limits on confidentiality (for example, where field notes or research data might be subpoenaed for legal proceedings).

Be willing to make results known to appropriate local, state or territory, and national authorities if requested.