Talanoa is a personal encounter where people story their issues, their realities and aspirations. It allows for more mo’oni (pure, real, authentic) information to be available for Pacific research than data derived from other research methods. (Vaioleti, 2006.p.1)
Pacific peoples are expanding the academy’s knowledge production methods. Talanoa is one such Pacific approach to knowledge-making that enables Pacific researchers to create and share research grounded in Pacific ways of knowing and being. Grounded in relationality, talanoa allows researchers and collaborators to engage as equals. Unlike structured interviews that often seek to extract information linearly, talanoa fosters a more holistic understanding by weaving together narratives, emotions, and cultural insights. It is a dynamic, iterative process where knowledge is co-constructed and validated through cultural references and communal engagement, thus challenging dominant epistemological paradigms and enabling a more inclusive and respectful form of knowledge production.
Additional Resources
- Talanoa Research Methodology: A Developing Position on Pacific Research
- Pacific Research Methodologies
- Kakala Research Framework
- Pacific Research Protocols from the University of Otago
- Decolonising Framings in Pacific Research: Indigenous Fijian Vanua Research Framework as an Organic Response
- Talanoa'i ‘A e Talanoa—Talking about Talanoa: Some dilemmas of a novice researcher
