*3.4. The 4Rs*

Decolonizing digital citizen science cannot take place without respect for Indigenous Knowledges and cultures, and between researchers and community members [35,39,43]. The foundation for the bridge to decolonizing citizen science for Indigenous self-governance

therefore must be the 4Rs—Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, and Reconciliation [53,54]. This includes respect for Indigenous cultures and Peoples, reciprocity in relationships between non-Indigenous settlers and Indigenous Peoples, a reconciliatory approach to building partnerships, capacity, understanding, and healing and ensuring the relevance of our approaches to engagement, iKT, and co-creating solutions.

In conducting digital citizen science projects, the First Nations OCAP principles [55] are also critical to acknowledge and apply. These include ownership of knowledge and data, control over all aspects of research, access to information about one's own community, and possession or control of data [55]. These principles ensure First Nations and other Indigenous Peoples the right to their own information and respect the fact that they are stewards of their information, in the same way that they are stewards over their own lands. They also reflect commitments to use and share information in a way that maximizes the benefit to a community, while minimizing harm.

Both the 4Rs and OCAP principles are critical to decolonizing research. As described in Darder's (2019) principles of decolonizing Indigenous education framework, decolonization requires centring Indigenous voices and naming coloniality [56]. Removal of hierarchical structures is also a key component, as Western research norms for funding structures, rigid timelines, and research participation can limit the application of decolonized citizen science and a Two-Eyed Seeing approach. Collaboration at every stage of research, from project conceptualization to knowledge dissemination, is necessary for self-determination and self-governance.
