We’re trying hard to make this orientation as inclusive as possible so people with different learning preferences, communication styles, comfort levels with academic research and writing, and diverse cultures, backgrounds, languages, and experiences will find helpful information. Whatever stage you're at in your RRU program, you're very welcome here!
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We recognize that relationships are at the core of Indigenous ways of knowing and being (see First Peoples Principles of Learning and SIAM SELW̱ÁN (Respected Elder) Teachings in the Four Feathers Writing Guide). We also recognize that those relationships are often taught and learned through stories. The Oral Tradition and academic research and writing both tell stories and explain why they’re important as a means of forging relationships with audiences and ideas (Alphonse et al., n.d., Connecting Oral Traditions with Academic Writing). For more information on the similarities between oral teachings and academic writing, please visit Connecting Oral Traditions With Academic Writing in the Four Feathers Writing Guide.
Sharing the story of your experiences and understandings, along with the relationships you have with other scholars’ research, is at the heart of academic storytelling. We hope this orientation will help you develop as an academic researcher and storyteller.
Reference
Alphonse, S., Charles, N., & Bell, T. (n.d.). Four feathers writing guide. Royal Roads University. https://libguides.royalroads.ca/fourfeathers
We're attempting to bring together Western and Indigenist approaches in this orientation, and as Wilson and Hughes (2019) explained:
Indigenist research is about who we are, how we know, and engage with Knowledge, what we do as researchers, and the ways we enact relational accountability. . . . So, we’re using Indigenist to label a philosophy that includes a relational and emergent understanding of reality and Knowledge, and requires a particular way of behaving in the world. (p. 7)
For us, that means centring relationships in how we're talking about research and writing, as well as some of the Coast Salish Indigenous Knowledge that was shared in the Four Feathers Writing Guide (Alphonse et al., n.d.), to reflect that Royal Roads University resides on the ancestral lands of the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples. We sought and received permissions to draw on Traditional Knowledge for the orientation; please note that any Indigenous Knowledge shared in this resource is owned in perpetuity by the appropriate Nation, accordingly, the information should not be re-used without explicit permission from the Nation(s).
You'll also see that we're trying to incorporate Coast Salish teachings about the importance of the number four (Alphonse et al., n.d., Welcome section) and the significance of circles in Indigenous cultures as well as reflect the importance of the Oral Tradition and storytelling in Indigenous ways of knowing and being by telling stories versus presenting bulleted lists. You may find that this approach requires more patience than the typical Western approach that prioritizes efficiency, but we hope you'll have a more holistic and heart-first experience that will stay with you and support you throughout your time at RRU. Our goal is to take an invitational approach that welcomes people to ask questions and explore the resources versus dictating what people need.
If you'd like to learn more about the Traditional stages of learning that were shared in the Four Feathers Writing Guide (Alphonse et al., n.d.) and that form the framework for this orientation, please click the links below:
Develop a vision: Be of good heart and mind
Gather information: Learn more from others
Identify knowledge: Prepare to tell the story
Share your voice: Communicate your knowledge
References
Alphonse, S., Charles, N., & Bell, T. (n.d.). Four feathers writing guide. Royal Roads University. https://libguides.royalroads.ca/fourfeathers
Wilson, S. & Hughes, M. (2019). Why research is reconciliation. In Wilson, S., Breen, A. V., & DuPré, L. (Eds.), Research & reconciliation: Unsettling ways of knowing through Indigenous relationships. Canadian Scholars.
Photo credit for the images in this section: iStockphoto.com
We're drawing on the four Traditional stages of learning shared in the Four Feathers Writing Guide (Alphonse et al., n.d.) to reflect the reality that learning about research and writing happens throughout a program. Students need different support at different stages, and our hope is that suggesting information and resources for the different stages will make the experience of learning about academic research and writing less overwhelming. Please feel welcome to create your own relationships with this orientation and come back to it at all stages of your program.
Stage 1: Develop a vision: Be of good heart and mind
If you're a new student who has just been accepted to your program but you haven't started your coursework yet, this stage is for you as it provides a very general introduction to the Library and Writing Centre. Good news: you're already here!
Stage 2: Gather information: Learn more from others
If you've started your your coursework and you're needing to know more about research and writing, this stage is for you! In this stage, we're focusing on practical, hands-on information about the basics of research and writing.
Stage 3: Identify knowledge: Prepare to tell the story
If you have some experience of research and writing and you're looking toward that final push to complete your program, this stage is for you! This stage is an opportunity to think about what you know about research and writing, and what you need to know more about in order to complete that final exam, project, paper, thesis, or dissertation.
Stage 4: Share your voice: Communicate your knowledge
If you're working on your final exam, project, paper, thesis or dissertation, or perhaps you're looking beyond those milestones toward publishing your work, this stage is for you!
Reference
Alphonse, S., Charles, N., & Bell, T. (n.d.). Four feathers writing guide. Royal Roads University. https://libguides.royalroads.ca/fourfeathers
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