Western scientific studies, in the past, have used what is known as a "value-free approach" which calls for a complete disconnection between the scientist's beliefs and their research. Feminist scholars have recently discovered that, as humans, researchers can never be completely separated from their beliefs and personal understandings---known as their epistemologies. Therefore, the research approaches taken by scientists need further guidance to remain ethical particularly when Indigenous communities are concerned. Scientists can greatly benefit from the research methods that have already been used by feminist researchers. This proposal seeks to advocate for Western scientific researchers to gain an Indigenous epistemology as an added protocol to their research process. In doing so, the Western scientific researcher can better make hypotheses, data collections, conclusions, and productions of their research. By placing Indigenous and Western scientific epistemologies in conversation with one another, it is the belief that integrating these methodologies and epistemologies will help to promote a more holistic Western scientific research process.
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