Editorial

How do protocols, ethics and values intersect in the quest for meaning-making in multidisciplinary and intercultural central Australian research settings? The practice of establishing and developing ethical relationships in these settings is a complex dance, involving interactions among individuals and contexts that are not always reflected in the intellectual processes of the academy’s ethical procedures. Such relationships are, however, vital to the success and validity of the research undertaken. In this special issue, we share the experiences, the challenges, the positions and the reflections of researchers from diverse backgrounds who are working in a range of discipline areas in central Australian Aboriginal research contexts. What emerges from these different perspectives is a map of the ethical terrain across which researchers and research participants traverse, and which will, we hope, inform both the academy and those embarking or engaged on journeys across this terrain.