scholarly journals Informed Consent with Children and Young People in Social Research: Is There Scope for Innovation?

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Parsons ◽  
Gina Sherwood ◽  
Chris Abbott
Keyword(s):  
Informed Consent ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Children And Young People

scholarly journals The Potential of Digital Technologies for Transforming Informed Consent Practices with Children and Young People in Social Research

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 56-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Informed Consent ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Tablet Devices ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Support Autonomy

How children and young people understand and exercise their autonomy, engagement and decision-making is fundamental to learning how to become active and engaged citizens, and to be socially included. Digital technologies are increasingly an integral part of children’s everyday lives and, therefore, valuable tools for supporting social inclusion. This paper discusses how digital technologies might positively support autonomy, engagement and decision-making through the lens of informed consent practices within social research. Current research practices are dominated by paper-based methods for obtaining informed consent which could be exclusionary for children and young people generally, and children with additional learning and support needs in particular. Digital technologies (laptops, PCs, tablet devices, smartphones) offer the potential to support accessibility and understanding of ideas and activities, as well as engagement with and autonomy in decision-making and participation. This paper explores this potential as well as the challenges that researchers may face in this context.

scholarly journals Negotiating the practicalities of informed consent in the field with children and young people: learning from social science researchers

2021 ◽  
pp. 174701612110149
Author(s):  
Gina Sherwood ◽  
Sarah Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Informed Consent ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Institutional Ethics ◽  
Research With Children

The real-world navigation of ethics-in-practice versus the bureaucracy of institutional ethics remains challenging. This is especially true for research with children and young people who may be considered vulnerable by the policies and procedures of ethics committees but agentic by researchers. Greater transparency is needed about how this tension is navigated in practice to provide confidence and effective strategies for social researchers, including those new to the field, for negotiating informed consent. Twenty-three social science researchers with a range of experience were interviewed about their practices for gaining informed consent from children and young people in social research and the development of their ‘ethics in practice’ over time. Main themes focused on navigating ethics protocols within institutions, practices to prepare for data collection, and a critical evaluation of the resources that can be applied to gaining consent and managing relationships. A range of methods and concrete steps that address ethical challenges are outlined to illustrate what can be done in practice to achieve authentic consent and appropriate participation.

scholarly journals Research, relevance and respect: Co-creating a guide about involving young people in social research

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Hopkins ◽  
Cath Sinclair ◽  
Shawlands Academy Student Research Committee
Keyword(s):  
Informed Consent ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Youth Participation ◽  
Research Committee ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Participation In Research ◽  
Do So

Although children and young people in schools should be asked for their informed consent to participate in research, they rarely have a say in what research takes place in their school. We draw upon debates about youth participation in research to explore young people's preferences about their involvement in research and how they want to be treated by researchers. To do so, we reflect on the process of co-creating a guide for involving young people in social research with a Student Research Committee and their teacher; this involved group discussions, ranking exercises and other interactive sessions that generated ideas about the preferences of the young people about participating in research. Overall, the involvement of young people in all stages of the research process will enhance what they get out of participating and the extent to which they feel their voices have been heard.

Participant Photography as a Research Tool: Ethical Issues and Practical Implementation

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-399
Author(s):  
Leeanne O’Hara ◽  
Kathryn Higgins
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Young People ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Participatory Methods ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Research Drug

Participatory methods for engaging children and young people in research are becoming more popular and innovative in social research. One example of this is the inclusion of participant photography. Drawing on an ethnographic study conducted in Northern Ireland, this article explores the application of participant photography to research drug use and antisocial behavior among youth. Findings highlight issues surrounding implementation when in the field, building on the existing knowledge base and focusing on recruitment, continuous engagement, image presentation, and analysis. This is followed by an overview of ethical considerations including specific issues relating to researcher and participant safety.

Meaningful Consent to Participate in Social Research on the Part of People under the Age of Eighteen

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Williams
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Research With Children ◽  
Differences Of Opinion ◽  
Legal Position ◽  
Ethics Of Research

This article describes changes in conventions among social scientists undertaking research with children and young people over the last decade, and discusses the legal position and aspects of the ethics of research with people under eighteen. It includes three brief case examples which illustrate the nature of the issues involved and ethics committees' responses to them, and concludes that although differences of opinion remain, a consensus is emerging about the need to let young people speak for themselves, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Justifying children and young people’s involvement in social research: Assessing harm and benefit

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Kennan ◽  
Pat Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Ethical Obligation ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Theoretical Context ◽  
Balanced Assessment

At a time when children and young people’s involvement in research is increasingly the norm, this article reflects on the importance of a well-reasoned and transparent justification for their inclusion or exclusion. It explores the dilemma of a researcher’s ethical obligation to protect children and young people from harm and at the same time respect their autonomy as social actors and independent rights holders to participate in research of relevance to their lives. A researcher’s ethical obligation to conduct a rigorous but balanced assessment of harm and benefit is reiterated. The article takes the debate beyond a call for assessing harm and benefit to providing a strategy for conducting such an assessment at the point of research design. Reflecting on two research projects the authors were involved in, three critical considerations are identified. These are: the purpose and the theoretical context of the research; the preferences of the children and young people and their parents; and the available time and resources. The article draws on the research examples to illustrate the assessment process in practice.

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