Background Research

Co-design research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

By Antoinette Cole, University of Queensland School of Education  

Co-designing with Indigenous communities is a relational, Indigenous-led approach to research and innovation in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples actively shape the purpose, processes, governance, and outcomes of projects that affect them. Co-design is not consultation. It moves beyond consultation to recognise Indigenous leadership, agency, community integrity, cultural protocols, shared power, and relationality. [1]

Co-design is grounded in relationships, trust, accountability, and Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. It is a context-specific process shaped by community priorities, authority, and protocols. [2]

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Why is it relevant?

Co-design matters because: 

• It centres Indigenous self-determination. Co-design recognises Indigenous authority over research agendas, knowledges, and outcomes that affect their communities. [3]
• It strengthens research quality and relevance. Indigenous-led co-design supports more culturally grounded, context-aware, and ethically robust innovation. [3] 
• It supports responsible innovation. In emerging technologies with uncertainty and long-term impacts, co-design enables early identification of values, risks, and desired futures. 
• It builds trust and legitimacy. Research developed through co-design is more likely to be socially legitimate, sustainable, and supported over time.  

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Practical Steps

Effective co-design requires time, care, and reflexivity.  Practical considerations include: 

1. Start with relationships, not projects. Co-design begins before research questions are finalised. Invest time in building trust and understanding community priorities. 
2. Respect Indigenous governance and leadership. Communities determine who speaks for Country, how decisions are made, and what forms of participation are appropriate. 
3. Share power and decision-making. Co-design involves shared authority over research goals, methods, data, interpretation, and dissemination, not just input at selected stages. 
4. Be flexible and responsive. Timelines, methods, and outcomes may need to adapt to community contexts, cultural obligations, and emerging insights. 
5. Ensure reciprocity and benefit. Co-design must result in outcomes valued by communities, such as capacity building, employment, resources, and long-term partnerships. 
6. Commit to accountability over time. Responsibilities do not end with project completion. Ongoing communication and follow-through are essential. 

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Case Study

An Indigenous-led partnership between Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation and university researchers illustrates best practice in co-design with Indigenous communities. From the outset, Yolŋu governance and community priorities shaped the research focus, the use of monitoring technologies, and the governance of data. [4] Indigenous representatives participated in ongoing decision-making and interpretation of findings, ensuring knowledge production and technological innovation aligned with cultural values and community aspirations while strengthening scientific relevance and ethical accountability. [5] [6] [7] 

References

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