Enhancing oralities methodology: ontological framing and cultural principles in research

Research interest in oralities, traditional Indigenous dialogic forms of communication, is growing. Various oralities have been valuable in Oceania social research in fields such as leadership development and climate change. However, in the transition of traditional forms to formal research, attention can be paid to on-the-ground details and matters of culture rather than to ontological framings. This article provides two ways to attend to this issue. The first refers to the Oceania Oralities Framework, a representation of ontological elements that inform the performance of oralities in the region. The second is an exploration of the way cultural groups’ prioritised principles are useful for conducting research through an Oceania orality and which map onto the framework. The framework and principles are demonstrated through the example of tok stori, a Melanesian orality and an account of education research in the institutional domain. However, these ideas have potential in any social domain or field of social research, and in contexts that invite research through traditional oralities beyond Melanesia.