Braiding Research Approaches to Understand Home Visiting in Indigenous Communities

This report aims to build knowledge of Indigenous methodologies, principles, and study designs to inform research and evaluation within and beyond CIRCLE-HV. It also identifies examples of braided Indigenous and Western research approaches that incorporate multiple perspectives.

We conducted a mixed-methods approach that included a (1) review of the foundational literature on Indigenous research methodologies, (2) scoping review of existing literature on Indigenous home visiting, and (3) interviews with nine scholars and practitioners. Although each research question lent itself to a primary data source, we triangulated data across methods to provide more holistic answers.

Key Findings and Highlights

Methodology is not the same as method, despite people often referring to them interchangeably.

• A methodology is the framework used to determine the appropriateness of methods applied in research. Grounded in a particular worldview, methodology influences how work is conducted and what questions are prioritized.
• Methods are the steps taken to conduct research about a topic. They may or may not be culturally specific; rigor is attained by their alignment with research questions.

Five key principles undergird most Indigenous research methodologies:

• Relationality: Recognize Our Inherent Interconnectedness and Worldview
• Respect: Hold in Deep Regard Partner Community Cultures, Lived Experiences, Ways of Knowing, and Priorities
• Relational Accountability: Understand and Uphold Our Responsibilities to the People and Communities We Serve
• Reciprocity: Give of Ourselves and Honor the Gifts of Others
• Place: Honor that Ways of Knowing and Ancestral Wisdom are Grounded in Place

Indigenous methodologies do not prescribe specific methods; however, methods designed by and for Indigenous communities (e.g., yarning, talking circles, conversation) may be a natural fit. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs can all align with Indigenous methodologies and worldviews, offering flexibility to researchers partnering with Indigenous communities to study home visiting.

Braided approaches such as Two-Eyed Seeing and the Māori Braided River Framework may effectively combine the strengths of Indigenous and Western science. These approaches may be particularly appropriate for home visiting programs partnering with non-Indigenous researchers or with Indigenous researchers from other communities.