The ethics of participatory research with children
Abstract
This paper argues that ethical problems in research involving direct contact with children can be overcome by using a participatory approach. A study of children's participation in decisions when they are looked after is described in terms of how a view of the ‘social child’ (James, 1995) shaped the approach to establishing contact with children, the choice of topics and methods of communication which were used, and the way in which children were given opportunities to interpret the data for themselves. The paper concludes with the suggestion that a participatory approach can also assist with reliability and validity.
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How you handle ethical issues in research with children depends on your conceptualization of children.
“As Thomas and O'Kane (1998) point out, how you handle ethical issues in research with children depends on your conceptualization of children.”
From Adults researching with children (2023) · cites this paper as Thomas and O'Kane (1998)
Confidentiality in research with children is complicated by the fact that adults may expect to be told about the private lives or thoughts of children for whom they are responsible.
“When it comes to research with children, Thomas and O'Kane (1998) point out that”
From Adults researching with children (2023) · cites this paper as Thomas and O'Kane (1998)
Cites
The methodology of Focus Groups: the importance of interaction between research participants
Kitzinger, J. (1994) · Sociology of Health & Illness · doi:10.1111/1467-9566.ep11347023 · Cited by 3,870 · see citing works
Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research
Kirk, J., & Miller, M. (1986) · doi:10.4135/9781412985659 · Cited by 1,462 · see citing works
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Methodological Immaturity in Childhood Research?: Thinking through `participatory methods'
Gallacher, L.-A., & Gallagher, M. (2008) · Childhood · doi:10.1177/0907568208091672 · Cited by 685 · see citing works
research with children: methodological issues and innovative techniques
Fargas-Malet, M., McSherry, D., Larkin, E., & Robinson, C. (2010) · Journal of Early Childhood Research · doi:10.1177/1476718x09345412 · Cited by 520 · see citing works
Hill, M. (2006) · Childhood · doi:10.1177/0907568206059972 · Cited by 430 · see citing works
Interviews with Children Exposed to Violence
Eriksson, M., & Näsman, E. (2012) · Children & Society · doi:10.1111/j.1099-0860.2010.00322.x · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Kolehmainen, N., Francis, J. J., Ramsay, C. R., Owen, C., McKee, L., Ketelaar, M., & Rosenbaum, P. (2011) · BMC Pediatrics · doi:10.1186/1471-2431-11-100 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Informed Consent with Children and Young People in Social Research: Is There Scope for Innovation?
Parsons, S., Sherwood, G., & Abbott, C. (2016) · Children & Society · doi:10.1111/chso.12117 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Nygren, J. M., Lindberg, S., Wärnestål, P., & Svedberg, P. (2017) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/resprot.7094 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Adults researching with children
Berman, R., & MacNevin, M. (2023) · doi:10.32920/21909258
- Authors
- Thomas, N., & O'Kane, C.
- Affiliations
- Swansea University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Thomas, Nigel
- ORCID
- Thomas, Nigel
- Venue
- Children & Society
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1998-11
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 336-348
- ISSN
- 0951-0605 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-0860
- OpenAlex
- W2018622410
- Cited by
- 569
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 39
- FWCI
- 20.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Children & Society (publishedVersion)
- CLOK (University of Central Lancashire) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Nuffield Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Children's Rights and Participation
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Participatory Visual Research Methods
- Keywords
- participatory research, research ethics, research with children, children's participation in decision-making, child welfare, children in care, reliability and validity
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