Exploring practical and ethical dilemmas when conducting research with small population groups in First Nations communities: Privileging stories as data, and data as stories

Purpose When working with small population groups, answering consequential research questions to rigorous scientific standards can be challenging due to limited sample sizes impacting statistical power.Creating translational solutions can be additionally challenging when cultural and language differences exist.Therefore, researchers must learn to walk in two worlds.This paper explores practical and ethical dilemmas encountered when conducting research with small population groups in First Nations communities, and the opportunities afforded by privileging stories as data, and data as stories.Methods This study drew on experiences of co-researching with small groups of First Nations young people and Elders in diverse communities, to elucidate the importance of co-designing context-responsive methodologies and developing shared methodological language to achieve meaningful outcomes.While small samples typically produce less precise and generalisable findings, they can be particularly powerful