Many people helped to develop this revised statement and we wish to thank them all. Since the publication of the Ethical Principles in 1982, they have proven their worth by becoming the most widely cited and adopted among northern researchers in Canada. Since then, however, the situation in the North has changed significantly. Many First Nations, the Inuvialuit, and the Inuit have settled land claims and, in many cases, related Self-Government Agreements. Land and other regimes have altered.
Researchers now find the research context shifting, often unpredictably.
Communities have sometimes found themselves and their concerns disregarded by researchers. A renewed research relationship has been called for and is emerging. A new spirit of partnership between northerners and researchers is emerging in northern research. Of course, the nature of any particular partnership will depend on the specific project. The new partnership ethic, however, emphasizes the need to create meaningful relationships with the people and communities affected by research.