Ethical publishing in 'Indigenous' contexts.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Indigenous Studies
• Research Ethics

Background:

• Ethical publishing practices are essential for tobacco control research, especially when involving Indigenous peoples.
• Current practices may perpetuate biases favoring Euro-Western perspectives and risk appropriation of Indigenous knowledge.
• There's a need to address harms and strengthen accountability to Indigenous communities in research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the adoption of ethical research and evaluation publishing protocols within the journal *Tobacco Control*.
• To emphasize the importance of ethical practices in research involving Indigenous peoples.
• To encourage reflection on conduct and decision-making among all stakeholders in tobacco control research.

Main Methods:

• This is a Special Communication, advocating for policy and practice change.
• It involves a call to action for researchers, editors, peer reviewers, and funding bodies.
• The communication emphasizes the need for tangible mechanisms to include and engage Indigenous peoples in research design and execution.

Main Results:

• The journal *Tobacco Control* currently lacks a specific ethical publishing protocol for Indigenous contexts.
• There is a recognized need for practices that minimize bias and harm, and promote Indigenous agency.
• Implementing ethical guidelines will strengthen accountability and ensure research is beneficial to Indigenous communities.

Conclusions:

• *Tobacco Control* should adopt publication practices that explicitly uphold ethical research and evaluation, particularly in Indigenous contexts.
• Ethical principles, processes, and practices are fundamental for high-quality, culturally safe, and priority-driven research.
• Adherence to these principles will support Indigenous sovereignty and advance a future free from commercial tobacco and nicotine.