The Manulua Framework: how combining multiple research methodologies and theoretical or conceptual frameworks strengthens research with Tongan participants

When researching with Moana (ocean) or Pacific peoples, a key research consideration is which methodological approach will best acknowledge, engage, and value what is shared. The Manulua (two birds) Framework explores the experiences of successful Tongan science learners in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Kingdom of Tonga. The Manulua Framework draws on four very different theoretical or conceptual frameworks and methods, complementing (1) Tongan and Moana or Pacific approaches to research with aspects of (2) critical realism, (3) relationality through va (space), and the (4) multiscience framework. Epeli Hau'ofa's seminal essay Sea of Islands, and the articles of support and critique found in A New Oceania helped situate Oceania as the context, connector, and source of my participants' stories. This article describes how this combination acknowledged Moana or Pacific values, protocols, knowledge, and beliefs during data collection, analysis, and reflection, offering a way for researchers to consider how to draw upon multiple theoretical or conceptual frameworks and methods in their work.