Case Studies
A key purpose of ERIC is to share stories, experiences and learning about ethical issues and concerns that shape research involving children and young people. Case studies have been contributed by researchers, using their own words, to assist others to reflect critically on some of the more difficult and contested ethical issues they may encounter. These case studies which are from diverse international contexts and different research paradigms highlight the processes that can be engaged in developing ethical thinking and improving ethical practice in research with children. Researchers are invited to consider these case studies in light of their own experience and context. Please submit your expression of interest using the form at the bottom of this page.
Positioning families as co-researchers at the museum: How do we see and hear the voices of parents and children? By Nicola Wallis
You can download this case study as a pdf here. Positioning young children as co-researchers seeks to elevate their voice, interests and power in research processes. However, there are added tensions when
Embracing the embarrassment: Potential of seemingly unsuccessful research interactions for critical professional development. By Katrin Velten & Julia Höke
You can download this case study as a pdf here. When children participate in research, particularly research conducted with or by children, a key goal is to authentically represent their viewpoints. Striving
‘Your life looks like a fairytale’ : Challenges in building rapport with children and youth in contexts of protracted conflict. By Cadhla Fiona o’Sullivan
You can download this case study as a pdf here. My PhD research, titled ‘Artisans of Peace’, was conducted in the post conflict environment of Bogotá, Colombia. It consisted of an Arts
Developing an ethical and reflexive mindset in emerging childhood researchers. By Daniella Bendo and Paige Sheridan
You can download this case study as a pdf here. As thinking and practice has grown around ethical research involving children, so too has the need to train and equip new researchers
Navigating disability identity and language in research involving children and young people. By Fathimath Shiraani
You can download this case study as a pdf here. Despite contemporary tourism research being more inclusive of previously neglected groups, the views of children with disability are still largely absent, reflecting
Interviewing young people on sensitive topics: An iterative approach. By Tim Moore, Jodi Death & Steven Roche
You can download this case study as pdf here. In 2015, a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was established to understand the nature and extent of sexual abuse
Incidental brain findings in neuroimaging research. By Sebastián J. Lipina
You can download this ERIC case study as a pdf in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia. Incidental brain findings (IBFs) are brain abnormalities with no outward symptoms that are
Immediacy of fieldwork in participatory research with children in precarious contexts. By Tatek Abebe
You can download this case study as a pdf here. Conducting participatory fieldwork with children can result in a researcher becoming involved in their lives more broadly, blurring the lines around the
Positioning families as co-researchers at the museum: How do we see and hear the voices of parents and children? By Nicola Wallis
You can download this case study as a pdf here. Positioning young children as co-researchers seeks to elevate their voice, interests and power in research processes. However, there are added tensions when
Embracing the embarrassment: Potential of seemingly unsuccessful research interactions for critical professional development. By Katrin Velten & Julia Höke
You can download this case study as a pdf here. When children participate in research, particularly research conducted with or by children, a key goal is to authentically represent their viewpoints. Striving
But, what is a researcher?: Supporting informed consent with young children. By Laura Benton and Julia Truscott
You can download this case study as a pdf here. It is now common practice to seek children’s own consent for research participation, alongside (usually) that of a parent or guardian. This
Using the Narrative Approach to informed consent to empower young children and their educators
You can download this case study as a pdf here. Conducting research with young children is a complex process with many stakeholders and ethical considerations to navigate. One of the most enduring
Negotiating confidentiality, privacy and consent in focus groups with children and young people. By Tim Moore
You can download this case study as a pdf here. In 2015, the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse contracted us to complete a study to understand what
Obtaining informed and voluntary consent in a group context. By Muireann Ní Raghallaigh & Robbie Gilligan
You can download this ERIC case study as a pdf in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia. In designing a doctoral research study of the experiences of unaccompanied/ separated asylum
Communicating with gatekeepers in UK educational settings. By Alice Little
You can download this case study as a pdf here. In the Spring of 2022 I joined a team of researchers exploring issues surrounding school toilet use in English schools. The project
Negotiating confidentiality, privacy and consent in focus groups with children and young people. By Tim Moore
You can download this case study as a pdf here. In 2015, the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse contracted us to complete a study to understand what
Maintaining confidentiality of responses and preventing social desirability bias with an innovative method: The polling booth in research on early marriage, including child marriage. By Urvashi Wattal & Angela Chaudhuri
You can download this ERIC case study as a pdf in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia. An impact evaluation, funded by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), of
Interviewing children with disability in the presence of a parent. By Berni Kelly
You can download this ERIC case study as a pdf in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia. Traditionally, social researchers expected parents or other adults to act as proxies for
Child protection and confidentiality: Surveying children’s experiences of violence, abuse and neglect. By Lorraine Radford
You can download this ERIC case study as a pdf in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia. In 2008 the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)
Peer research and young people in and leaving out-of-home care. By Clare Lushey and Emily R. Munro
You can download this ERIC case study as a pdf in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia. Care Matters: Time for Change (Department for Education and Skills, 2007) identified the
Research ethics committee conditions: Ethical challenges of researching with poor communities in Malawi. By Elsbeth Robson
You can download this case study as a pdf here. As an international academic team we have been engaged with researching African household and young people’s livelihood trajectories in a Malawian village
Ethical considerations when using incentives in youth research. By Kathryn Seymour
You can download this ERIC case study as a pdf in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia. The Queensland Youth Development Research Project (YDRP) used questionnaires to explore the role
Reciprocity in participatory research with children in precarious contexts. By Tatek Abebe
You can download this case study as a pdf here. This case study draws on fieldwork encounters when undertaking research on childhood in precarious contexts in Ethiopia. This research involved children who
Payments to young researchers in Malawi. By Elsbeth Robson, Alister Munthali, Gina Porter & Kate Hampshire
During a research project on children’s transport and mobility in sub-Saharan Africa young people, (mostly under 18 years old) were invited from secondary schools in Malawi, Ghana and South Africa, to train
Payment in different contexts: How can payment reflect local considerations? By Virginia Morrow
You can download this ERIC case study as a pdf in English, français, español, 한국어, Türkçe and Bahasa Indonesia. Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty, involving 12,000 children growing
Expression of Interest to Contribute A Case Study
The purpose of the case studies is to share examples of the kinds of ethical challenges we encounter in our research involving children, the ways we navigate these, the choices we make and the reflections we engage in. The case studies are intended to stimulate thinking and provide ideas for others who encounter similar issues.
Please complete the following form if you wish to express interest in contributing a case study.
