The 5 R's of Indigenous research as a framework to co-design and evaluate an outdoor play program in early learning and child care centers: Protocol for the Promoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO) 2.0 wait-list control cluster randomized trial

The Promoting Early Childhood Outside (PRO-ECO) 2.0 study is a community-based research partnership with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers and Elders, Indigenous and early childhood organizations, early childhood education faculty, ELCC centers, and families, aiming to expand outdoor play in ELCC centers. This paper provides an overview of the community-based design process, guided by the 5 R’s—Respect, Relevance, Responsibility, Reciprocity, and Relationship—and the resulting study protocol for the mixed methods waitlist control cluster randomized trial.