The use of realist approaches for health research in Indigenous communities

Abstract

Research approaches and underlying epistemologies should be carefully considered when conducting health research involving Indigenous communities in order to be aligned with the distinct Indigenous values and goals of the communities involved. If Western research approaches are used, it is helpful to consider how they might be consistent with Indigenous ways of knowing. Among Western research approaches, realist approaches might have some congruence with Indigenous epistemologies. For health research in Indigenous communities, realist approaches might be relevant because they are based on a wholistic approach congruent with Indigenous ontologies, anchored in local knowledge, process-oriented and dynamic. The use of these approaches might make it possible to link diverse knowledge systems into action that is meaningful for Indigenous communities.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure—the arts as a vehicle for knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) in public health during a pandemic: a realist-informed developmental evaluation research protocol

“… 55–57 Studies have shown that RE is relevant for health research with Indigenous communities because it is based on a holistic approach congruent with Indigenous ontologies. 58 …”

“…RE, a theory-based approach to evaluation, is also recommended for evaluating complex situations, as it makes it possible to relate the context and underlying mechanisms that can influence the effectiveness of a process in a given setting 55–57. Studies have shown that RE is relevant for health research with Indigenous communities because it is based on a holistic approach congruent with Indigenous ontologies 58…”

“…[55][56][57] Studies have shown that RE is relevant for health research with Indigenous communities because it is based on a holistic approach congruent with Indigenous ontologies. 58 Development of an initial programme theory: prior to phase 3, an initial programme theory will be jointly developed with coresearchers and collaborators based on the ACKTE model 45 and on a framework identifying the context and potential mechanisms, 59 explaining the potential influence of contextual factors and underlying mechanisms on the intervention development process.…”

Nursing research in Latin America: priorities and possible solutions to move it forward

“…A method that advocates for the use of multiple data collection methods (34) , realist evaluation is a theory-driven approach that allows for a more in-depth understanding of an intervention or phenomenon by identifying different patterns (35,36) . It is an approach that is rooted in local knowledge (37) , process-oriented (37,38) , and able to link different knowledge systems together (37) , and it could be used more often in contexts such as Latin America (39) to address nursing research priorities.…”

Cross-cultural realist interviews: An integration of the realist interview and cross-cultural qualitative research methods

“…Guidance for the design and facilitation of realist interviews is readily available (Greenhalgh et al, 2017; Manzano, 2016; Mukumbang et al, 2019; Pawson, 1996; Pawson & Tilley, 1997; Westhorp & Manzano, 2017), but to date, it has given little attention to interviewing in cross-cultural contexts (when researcher and research participant are from different cultures and speak different languages). While some researchers have considered cross-cultural issues such as realist methodology’s compatibility with Indigenous ways of knowing (Bergeron et al, 2021), published realist evaluation studies that have included cross-cultural interviews are few (Gilmore, 2019), and give light descriptions or analyses in relation to the cross-cultural application of realist methodology.…”