Investigators
Activity Leads
- Dr Danielle Armour (University of Queensland)
- Prof Francis Mitrou (University of Western Australia)
Project Lead (overall SSRIN)
- Prof Wojtek Tomaszewski (University of Queensland)
Research Assistant
- Abhishek Rasal
Project description
This project forms Activity 3.5 of the Social Science Research Infrastructure Network (SSRIN) and focuses on the development of Indigenous-led guidelines to support the ethical, culturally appropriate use of government administrative data relating to Indigenous peoples.
Government administrative data are widely used for research, evaluation, and policy development, yet researchers often lack clear, practical guidance on how Indigenous data are collected, governed, interpreted, and represented within these systems. This activity responds to that gap by developing guidelines that support responsible data use across the full research lifecycle, including project design, data access, analysis, interpretation and reporting.
The project is grounded in Indigenous Data Governance principles and aligns with existing national frameworks, including those developed by Indigenous-led organisations and government agencies. It is being delivered through close collaboration with Indigenous data governance experts, data custodians, and community representatives, with governance structures designed to ensure Indigenous leadership and oversight.
The resulting guidelines will support researchers, analysts, and institutions to work with Indigenous data in ways that are respectful, transparent and aligned with community expectations, while also strengthening the quality and integrity of research using linked administrative data assets.
Plain language summary
Many researchers and policymakers use government data to understand health, education, and social outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, these data are often complex, and it is not always clear how they should be handled, interpreted, or reported in culturally respectful ways.
Through Indigenous leadership and guidance, this project is developing clear, practical guidelines to help researchers and organisations work with Indigenous data responsibly. The guidelines explain important context about how the data are collected, what they can and cannot show, and how findings should be interpreted and shared.
By supporting both researchers and communities, the project aims to improve trust, reduce harm, and ensure that research using Indigenous data contributes to better, more respectful decision-making.
Funders of the project
This project is supported by the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) as part of the Social Science Research Infrastructure Network (SSRIN).
External collaborators
This activity is delivered in collaboration with a range of national partners, including:
- Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), including the Centre of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics (CoATSIS)
- Indigenous Data Network (IDN)
- Improving Indigenous Research Capabilities (IIRC) project
- University of Queensland
- University of Western Australia
- Australian National University
- Monash University
- Indigenous Community Reference Group and Indigenous data governance experts involved in project co-design and oversight