title: Thinking outside the box: Aboriginal people's suggestions for conducting health studies with Aboriginal communities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aboriginal people are under-represented in epidemiological research, largely due to past failures to engage and recruit Aboriginal communities, research fatigue and the use of culturally inappropriate methods. A qualitative study was undertaken in rural and urban Aboriginal communities in north-eastern and south-western Ontario to identify culturally congruent public health research methodologies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative participatory research study using focus group discussions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study employed a participatory research framework to elicit methodological suggestions for conducting public health research with Aboriginal communities during focus groups with healthcare providers from six diverse Aboriginal health organizations in Ontario, Canada.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Continuing requests for participation in health research studies have led to community exhaustion. Discussions explored appropriate methods to obtain community approval and support for a study, the need for cultural sensitivity training for researchers, the value of conducting studies of interest and benefit to the community, advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative studies, the benefit of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal ethics reviews, the importance of safeguarding trusted information, types of incentives that may enhance study participation, suggestions to improve the collection of questionnaire information and biological specimens, how to resolve contentious issues and dissemination of study results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to successfully engage Aboriginal people in health studies, researchers need to build rapport with communities, have a community presence, be respectful and collaborative, utilize incentives, and employ flexible and adaptive methodologies of reasonable length. Oral interviews are preferred to self-completed information. The use of more mixed methods methodologies was suggested when quantitative data collection is necessary. Communities expect presentations about research findings.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. mmaar@nosm.ca
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Maar
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Lightfoot
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lidstone-Jones
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beaudin
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Daybutch
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Dokis
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lesage
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Williamson
mesh_terms: D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D054521:Cultural Competency; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D009864:Ontario; D011634:Public Health / Q000639:trends*; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population