Rethinking Research

This groundbreaking volume demands a fundamental rethinking of how research is conducted with—and accountable to—communities. Moving beyond institutional compliance and procedural checklists, the work calls for an ethics grounded in responsibility, reciprocity, and knowledge sovereignty, challenging researchers to reimagine their relationships with research participants and communities.

Bringing together Indigenous, Black, immigrant, and land-based perspectives, the contributors confront the colonial and extractive logics that continue to shape mainstream research ethics. They advocate for relational accountability, continuous consent, and shared decision-making as essential foundations for just and transformative scholarship. Through personal decolonization narratives, critiques of institutional ethics boards, and practical frameworks for community-led governance, this book equips scholars, community organizers, and policymakers with concrete strategies to dismantle power imbalances and foster equitable research partnerships.

Essential reading for anyone committed to research as a tool for justice rather than extraction, Rethinking Research offers a radical vision of scholarship that centers community voices and collective well-being.

Ranjan Datta, PhD, Canada Research Chair at Mount Royal University specializing in Indigenous land rights, community-led disaster research, and decolonial environmental governance.

Jean Kayira, PhD, Associate Professor at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, specializing in Indigenous knowledge systems, land-based education, and decolonizing climate adaptation research.

Myrle Ballard, PhD, Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor at University of Calgary, advancing Indigenous science and sustainability through Three-Eyed Seeing and environmental justice advocacy.

Jebunnessa Chapola, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Calgary focusing on decolonial feminist research, anti-racism, and women-led climate adaptation and community empowerment.

Yvonne Vizina, PhD, Associate Professor at University of Winnipeg, researching Indigenous sustainability and integrating traditional knowledge into education systems. Yvonne was awarded the UWinnipeg Indigenous Research Excellence Chair in 2026.

Rani Muthukrishnan, PhD, Researcher in traditional sciences and Director of Research Compliance at Texas A&M University San Antonio, with expertise in ecoliteracy and human–nature interactions.

Tanvir Turin Chowdhury, PhD, Associate Professor at University of Calgary focusing on equity-centered, community-based research addressing health disparities among racialized and immigrant populations.