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VOL. 12, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Decolonising research methods to indigenous knowledge system
Authors
Nobutu Mooka Kalenga, Harrison Shanduba, Joseph Mate
Abstract
Eurocentric research
methodologies have been in use for many years in Zambia. This hegemony
was imposed by all former colonies of the colonialism and imperialism. Because
of this, the indigenous knowledge and its holders have been sidelined resulting
into little or no developmental achievements for centuries even after political
liberation. Hence Codestria (2019) proposed a need to come up with
contemporary and new authentic Afrocentric research methodologies that will
climatise to the African academic and professional environment. This can
be done by decolonizing research methodologies to emerge from indigenous
Knowledge System. Decolonisation creates just and equitable systems away from
Eurocentric research methodologies, thus addressing inequality through
education, dialogue, communication and action. It is about cultural,
psychological and economic freedom for indigenous people towards achieving
sovereignty, the right and ability to practice self-determination in research
(Beifi and Sandiford, 2021). The aim was to establish whether research methods
are decolonized to indigenous knowledge system in Zambia. The objectives were
to find out what decolonizing research methods to indigenous knowledge systems
meant to Zambian researchers, to establish research methods that decolonizes to
indigenous knowledge research methodologies and extract the benefits of
decolonizing research methods to indigenous knowledge systems. The study design
was qualitative and had twenty (20) participants comprising researchers and
non-researchers. Interviews were used to collect the data. The
findings were that most non-researchers were not aware of decolonizing research
methods. Others had no problems with the current research methods though
expressed a need to come up with new or modified ones. Some participants
were of the view that most of the Indigenous knowledge systems research
methodologies were not documented. The conclusion was that ethical
research teams were hindering publications of papers through altering topics by
following colonized rules. The study recommended that decolonized research
methods should be employed to change things that colonises policies and
education systems.
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Pages:367-374
How to cite this article:
Nobutu Mooka Kalenga, Harrison Shanduba, Joseph Mate "Decolonising research methods to indigenous knowledge system". International Journal of Commerce and Management Research, Vol 12, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 367-374
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