The First Nations principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access, Possession) were created as a guide to the collection and use of Indigenous data. These principles were designed to protect First Nations' ownership and jurisdiction over their information and data. Each letter in OCAP represents a different guiding principle.
Ownership:
Ownership refers to the relationship of First Nations to their cultural knowledge, data, and information. This principle states that a community or group owns information collectively in the same way that an individual owns his or her personal information.
Control:
Control refers to the right of First Nations people, communities, and representative bodies to seek control over all aspects of research and information management processes that impact them through all stages of research processes. This extends to the control of resources and review processes, the planning process, and management of the information.
Access:
Access is the availability of the information and data to First Nations communities. First Nations people must have access to information and data about themselves regardless of where it is held. This principle also refers to the right of First Nations' communities and organizations to manage and make decisions regarding access to their collective information.
Possession:
Possession refers to the mechanism by which ownership can be asserted and protected. It is the physical control of the data.
