Wednesday 8 June 2016
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Room 2-167, Enterprise Square (UAlberta Downtown Campus, 10230 Jasper Avenue)
Engaging Remote Indigenous Communities Using Appropriate Online Research Methods
Guest Speakers: Brian Beaton and Susan O'Donnell (University of New Brunswick)
Researchers require a special relationship and partnership when working with remote Indigenous and marginalized communities. Using online technologies and participatory action research methodologies appropriately can support engagement and empowerment for everyone involved in research with these special groups. Our workshop will share ideas that can be used with marginalized communities in different settings. It will include the presentation of a case study of research with remote Indigenous communities in Canada including an online community questionnaire and other online research strategies. The presentation considers some of the challenges of conducting online research in remote locations. They will propose some solutions to do it respectfully and appropriately while supporting the development of research capacity in the communities, as outlined in their new publication:
Beaton, B., Perley, D., George, C., O'Donnell, S. (2016, in press). Engaging remote marginalized communities using appropriate online research methods. In N. Fielding, R. M. Lee & G. Blank (Eds) The Sage handbook of online research methods. Sage, London.
This workshop is hosted by the Kule Institute for Advanced Study and the MA in Communications and Technology
Brian Beaton is a Research Associate with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute (KORI) and a Doctoral Candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of New Brunswick. He has been developing and working on innovative ICT projects with First Nations since 1983. From 1994 to 2013 he was the Coordinator of KO-KNET with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak (Northern Chiefs) First Nations Council in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Working with his team and collaborating First Nations he worked to support the development of local First Nation broadband infrastructure, regional backbone networks, a First Nations social media service and email service, the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network and the innovative Keewaytinook Mobile cellular service. Brian has a BMath (Mathematics / Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo and an MEd (Critical Studies in Education) from the University of New Brunswick.
Susan O'Donnell is a Researcher and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of New Brunswick. She has been researching the social, community and political aspects of digital technologies and communications since 1995. She is the lead investigator of the First Nations Innovation project: http://fn-innovation-pn.com and co-investigator on the First Mile project - http://firstmile.ca. Susan's research, in Canada (with the University of New Brunswick and the National Research Council), in Ireland and for the European Commission, has included studies and evaluations of ICT and marginalized communities in Canada, Ireland, Britain, Finland, Italy, Germany and Denmark. Prior to her research career Susan was a senior editorial consultant in Ottawa specializing in Aboriginal issues, including work with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and Assembly of First Nations.