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Cited by 1,288Children's Rights and ParticipationParticipatory Visual Research MethodsQualitative Research Methods and Ethics

Research with Children: The Same or Different from Research with Adults?

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PUNCH, SAMANTHA·2002·Childhood
DOI 10.1177/0907568202009003005
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Abstract

This article explores seven methodological issues in some detail to illustrate the ways in which aspects of the research process usually considered to be the same for both adults and children can pose particular dilemmas for adult researchers working with children. It argues that research with children is potentially different from research with adults mainly because of adult perceptions of children and children's marginalized position in adult society but least often because children are inherently different. Drawing on classroom-based research carried out in rural Bolivia, the advantages and disadvantages of using five task-based methods (drawings, photographs, PRA [participatory rural appraisal] techniques, diaries and worksheets) are highlighted in order to illustrate how such research techniques often thought to be suitable for use with children can be problematic as well as beneficial.

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  • Children are highly attuned to adults' attitudes and can detect when researchers are disinterested or overly formal, which may lead to guarded or performative responses.

    “Punch (2002) notes that children are highly attuned to adults ' attitudes and can detect when researchers are disinterested or overly formal, which may lead to guarded or performative responses.”

    From Virtual Reality Risks for Children in the Metaverse: An Examination through Criminological Perspectives (2026) · cites this paper as Punch (2002)

    The “Validity and reliability” section (page not available) says children may tell researchers what they think they want to hear, try to please adults, or fear adults’ reactions. The “Building rapport” section stresses trust. Neither section says children detect a researcher’s disinterest or excessive formality, so the proposed mechanism is not supported. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Research works printed but not linked: 32

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Authors
PUNCH, S.
Affiliations
University of Stirling (GB)
Corresponding author
PUNCH, SAMANTHA
ORCID
PUNCH, SAMANTHA
Venue
Childhood
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2002-08
Volume
9
Issue
3
Pages
321-341
ISSN
  • 0907-5682 (ISSN-L)
  • 1461-7013
DOI
10.1177/0907568202009003005
OpenAlex
W2001062709
Cited by
1,288
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 60 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 57 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 86 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 92 · 2018: 73 · 2017: 90 · 2016: 75 · 2015: 84 · 2014: 84 · 2013: 84 · 2012: 71
FWCI
25.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Childhood (publishedVersion)
  • Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Children's Rights and Participation
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Participatory Visual Research Methods
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
Keywords
research with children, methodological issues, adult perceptions of children, drawings, photographs, participatory rural appraisal, diaries, worksheets, classroom research, rural Bolivia

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