The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) has created the Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies (GERAIS) to ensure that research with and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples follows a process of meaningful engagement and reciprocity between the researcher and the individuals and/or communities involved in the research.
Download the Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies (GERAIS)
The latest edition, published in 2012, embodies the best standards of ethical research and human rights. The guidelines have been regularly revised to reflect developments in critical areas that have emerged since previous editions. These include changes to intellectual property laws, rights in traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, and the establishment of agreements and protocols between Indigenous people and researchers as well as emerging developments in digitisation, data and information management, and the very significant impacts this has on research and other aspects of Indigenous studies.
AIATSIS recognises that it has responsibility as a leading institution in Australian Indigenous studies to provide and facilitate ethics guidelines as an essential tool to inform all research in this area.
Principles
The GERAIS comprise 14 principles grouped under the following six categories: