The Bibbulung Gnarneep Project: practical implementation of guidelines on ethics in Indigenous health research

Human rights and ethical principles justify Indigenous control of health re search conducted in Indigenous communities, but also emphasise the need for scientific rigour, knowledge and expertise, much of which currently reside s with the non-indigenous community In 1994, we began development of the Bi bbulung Gnameep* Project on Aboriginal maternal and child health in Perth, Western Australia. We describe the process of developing a protocol to ensu re ethical conduct of this research through consultation and negotiation be tween Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people involved in the project.