Cultural Protocols

Guidelines for ethical handling of Indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage in research data

Introduction to Cultural Protocols

Commitment to Ethical Research

DOCiD recognizes the importance of respecting Indigenous knowledge systems, traditional cultural expressions, and community protocols when managing research data. These guidelines ensure that research involving Indigenous and traditional knowledge is conducted ethically and with appropriate community consent.

Cultural Sensitivity Framework
Essential All research contexts

DOCiD implements cultural protocols based on international standards and African indigenous knowledge frameworks:

  • Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC): Community consent before research begins
  • Benefit Sharing: Ensuring communities benefit from research outcomes
  • Cultural Attribution: Proper acknowledgment of traditional knowledge sources
  • Access Controls: Respecting community decisions about data sharing
  • Return of Knowledge: Providing research results back to communities

Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels

Local Contexts TK Labels
Recommended Traditional Knowledge resources

DOCiD integrates with Local Contexts (localcontexts.org) Traditional Knowledge Labels to provide appropriate attribution and access protocols:

🔒 TK Attribution (TK A)

Purpose: Acknowledges the source community

Use: When traditional knowledge requires attribution to specific communities

Example: Medicinal plant knowledge from San communities

🚫 TK Non-Commercial (TK NC)

Purpose: Restricts commercial use

Use: When traditional knowledge should not be commercialized

Example: Sacred ceremony documentation

👥 TK Community Use Only (TK CO)

Purpose: Restricts access to community members

Use: For culturally sensitive or restricted knowledge

Example: Gender-specific traditional practices

⚖️ TK Culturally Sensitive (TK CS)

Purpose: Indicates cultural sensitivity

Use: For knowledge requiring special handling

Example: Spiritual or religious knowledge

Community Research Protocols

Regional Protocol Examples
Guidelines African contexts

Examples of community-specific research protocols across Africa:

Community/Region Key Protocols Research Considerations Contact Requirements
San Communities (Southern Africa) Traditional authority approval, benefit sharing agreements Traditional medicine, environmental knowledge Traditional councils, community representatives
Maasai Communities (East Africa) Elder consultation, age-set permissions Pastoralism, traditional governance Council of elders, women's groups
Yoruba Communities (West Africa) Traditional ruler consent, community assembly Oral traditions, traditional arts Oba (traditional ruler), community leaders
Berber Communities (North Africa) Tribal council approval, language protocols Traditional crafts, agricultural practices Tribal councils, language preservation groups
Shona Communities (Zimbabwe) Spirit medium consultation, clan protocols Traditional religion, agricultural knowledge Spirit mediums, headmen, clan leaders

Implementation in DOCiD

Cultural Protocol Metadata
Implementation JSON metadata structure

Cultural protocols are stored in the publication metadata as structured JSON:

Cultural Protocol JSON Structure
{
    "cultural_protocols": {
        "traditional_knowledge": {
            "has_tk": true,
            "tk_labels": [
                {
                    "label": "TK Attribution",
                    "code": "TK A",
                    "community": "San Community of the Central Kalahari",
                    "contact": "Traditional Council",
                    "requirements": "Attribution required in all uses"
                },
                {
                    "label": "TK Non-Commercial",
                    "code": "TK NC", 
                    "restrictions": "No commercial use without additional consent"
                }
            ]
        },
        "community_consent": {
            "consent_obtained": true,
            "consent_date": "2024-03-15",
            "consenting_authority": "San Traditional Council",
            "consent_document_id": "STC-2024-001",
            "benefit_sharing_agreement": true
        },
        "access_restrictions": {
            "public_access": "partial",
            "restricted_elements": ["sacred_knowledge", "medicinal_formulas"],
            "community_access_only": true,
            "embargo_period": "5_years"
        },
        "cultural_sensitivity": {
            "sensitive_content": true,
            "cultural_advisor": "Elder Mary Khunou",
            "review_date": "2024-02-20",
            "handling_instructions": "Consult with cultural advisor before sharing"
        }
    }
}

API Integration with Cultural Protocols

Publication Creation with Cultural Protocols
POST /api/v1/publications/publish
Authorization: Bearer {jwt_token}
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "document_title": "Traditional Healing Plants of the Kalahari",
    "document_description": "Documentation of medicinal plant knowledge...",
    "document_docid": "DOCID.TK.2024.001",
    "resource_type_id": 1,
    "creators": [...],
    "metadata": {
        "cultural_protocols": {
            "traditional_knowledge": {
                "has_tk": true,
                "tk_labels": [
                    {
                        "label": "TK Attribution",
                        "code": "TK A",
                        "community": "San Community of the Central Kalahari"
                    }
                ]
            },
            "community_consent": {
                "consent_obtained": true,
                "consenting_authority": "San Traditional Council",
                "benefit_sharing_agreement": true
            }
        }
    },
    "local_contexts_integration": {
        "tk_label_ids": ["TK_A_001", "TK_NC_001"],
        "community_id": "san_central_kalahari",
        "project_id": "medicinal_plants_2024"
    }
}
Access Control Based on Cultural Protocols
GET /api/v1/publications/get-publication/1
Authorization: Bearer {jwt_token}

Response (with cultural protocol filtering):
{
    "status": "success", 
    "data": {
        "id": 1,
        "document_title": "Traditional Healing Plants of the Kalahari",
        "access_level": "restricted",
        "cultural_protocols": {
            "traditional_knowledge": true,
            "community_only_access": false,
            "attribution_required": true,
            "commercial_use_restricted": true
        },
        "available_content": {
            "public": ["general_description", "botanical_names"],
            "restricted": ["preparation_methods", "dosage_information"],
            "community_only": ["sacred_uses", "ceremonial_applications"]
        },
        "tk_labels": [
            {
                "label": "TK Attribution",
                "display": "This research was conducted with the San Community...",
                "icon_url": "https://localcontexts.org/labels/tk-a/"
            }
        ]
    }
}

Ethical Research Guidelines

🤝 Before Research

  • Establish contact with community leaders
  • Obtain Free, Prior, Informed Consent
  • Develop benefit-sharing agreements
  • Identify cultural protocols
  • Assign cultural advisors

📝 During Research

  • Follow community protocols
  • Regular community consultation
  • Respect access restrictions
  • Apply appropriate TK labels
  • Document consent processes

📤 After Research

  • Return results to community
  • Honor benefit-sharing agreements
  • Maintain access restrictions
  • Provide ongoing attribution
  • Support community capacity building

🛡️ Ongoing Responsibilities

  • Monitor data usage
  • Enforce access restrictions
  • Update community on research impact
  • Facilitate community review
  • Respect evolving protocols

Additional Resources

External Standards and Frameworks
Reference International standards

International Standards:

  • UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (Nagoya Protocol)
  • WIPO Traditional Knowledge Documentation Toolkit
  • UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage

Regional Frameworks:

  • African Union Model Law on Traditional Medicine
  • SADC Protocol on Traditional Medicine
  • ARIPO Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore Protocol

Technical Resources:

  • Local Contexts: localcontexts.org
  • CARE Principles: Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics
  • FAIR-TK: Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability for Traditional Knowledge
Controlled Vocabularies Validation Rules