“Wayfinding with our communities”: Manalagi and Pacific ways of knowing and being in health and wellbeing research dissemination – a critical autoethnography

Abstract

Introduction: The role of Pacific knowledges in the dissemination of research is oft implied and rarely discussed in academia. This case study explores how the Manalagi project, a large mixed-method study investigating Pacific and Rainbow+ experiences of health and wellbeing, leaned into Pacific ways of knowing and being in the dissemination strategy of the project.

Methods: Deploying critical autoethnography as methodology, this paper uses self-explorative reflection “vignettes” from the researcher diary of Manalagi’s principal investigator. These vignettes are used to analytically explore through storytelling how Manalagi’s dissemination strategy came into being.

Findings: The Manalagi project leaned on Pacific articulations of relationality and wayfinding to share research findings with Pacific Rainbow+ communities, moving beyond mere gifting of research back to a position of intentionally platforming community members’ experiences and voices. Community connections helped transform Manalagi into a multimodal project with interdisciplinary dissemination activities as well as national and international reach.

Conclusion: This research demonstrates how Pacific ways of knowing and being are aptly positioned to help health and wellbeing research to better reach those impacted by, or who could benefit from, research knowledge. Furthermore, while Pacific research methodologies have done much to emphasise the importance of partnership, more published research around dissemination strategies for Pacific health and wellbeing research centring our people’s knowledges is needed.