A Relational Literature Review Process: Continuing the Ceremony of Research

This article examines how team members from the Continuing the Ceremony of Research (CCR) project have adopted a relational literature review approach. A relational literature review focuses on forming relationships between sources and scholars rather than solely extracting information or identifying gaps in the field. Through this relational method, we use the literature review to maintain good relationships with Indigenous knowledge and further the CCR project’s broader goal of protecting the integrity and sustainability of Indigenous knowledge systems. Our discussion reflects on the current progress of the review, highlighting emerging insights, next steps and future dissemination activities. We stress the need to clarify how epistemology influences the literature review process, including how researchers’ relationships with knowledge shape how they approach this stage of their inquiry and determine which literature to engage with. We emphasize its particular importance for Indigenous graduate students, early-career researchers and those in related fields.