Patient-Oriented Research and Community-Based Health Research

Contact your subject librarian for tailored advice about finding grey literature for your research topic. The document below guides you through the general process and presents several strategies.  

What Is OCAP®?

The First Nations principles of OCAP® are a set of standards that establish how First Nations data should be collected, protected, used, or shared. They are the de facto standard for how to conduct research with First Nations. Standing for Ownership, Control, Access and Possession, OCAP® asserts that First Nations have control over data collection processes in their communities, and that they own and control how this information can be used. Please visit the First Nations Information Governance Centre's (FNIGC) website for more information.

How does OCAP® apply to researchers?

OCAP® respects that rights of First Nations communities to own, control, access, and possess information about their peoples is fundamentally tied to self-determination and to the preservation and development of their culture.

This is why anyone interested in conducting research with a First Nation should acquaint themselves with OCAP® before they begin. A good place to start would be The Fundamentals of OCAP® course, an online course developed by FNIGC in conjunction with Algonquin College that provides a comprehensive overview of the history of OCAP® and its applications in research and information governance today.