Conducting Research with Children and Adolescents: Design, Methods and Empirical Cases

Dr Julie Tinson is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Stirling. She routinely presents at top international academic and practitioner conferences in Europe and the US ( ACR, EACR, EMAC, ANZMAC and AMS) enabling dissemination of conceptual and complex ideas to different audiences. In addition she has conducted independent research projects for a wide variety of organisations including Barclays, NFU, Tpoll, Associa and Channel 4 Television. Julie has also worked at Southampton Business School and Bristol Business School and also teaches in the areas of Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Communications.

“Ask the young. They know everything.” Joseph Joubert (1754-1824)
Joubert suggests that the young are knowledgeable and asking them what they know about a variety of different topics sounds reasonably straightforward. Yet the reality of researching with young people can be complex, not least because of what young people are prepared to divulge and the extent to which the young people engage with the research and the researcher. In addition there are a wide-ranging number of issues that need to be taken into consideration before the research can begin (e.g. ethics, research design and approach, engaging techniques and planning) and deliberation ought also to be given to the interpretation and dissemination of findings. The objective for this book is to provide an accessible text which will guide the (novice) researcher who seeks clarity and illustration through the entire process of researching with children. Whilst there have been a wide-ranging number of papers written about researching with children, these tend to focus on innovative research practices, ethical approaches or the nuances of ethics and interpretation. Not only are these articles diverse in what they focus on but they represent studies conducted in a variety of different disciplines. This text will draw together the various contributions made by researchers who have conducted research with children and will endeavour to illustrate best practice across disciplines.

This book is designed to be a practical guide to researching with children whilst at the same time being underpinned with academic concepts. This text is primarily designed for final year undergraduate or MSc/ MA students studying research methods courses, education modules or associated dissertation modules (although it could also be used by PhD students in the initial stages of their studies). The book is akin to a guidebook for those researching with children. It summarises seminal papers and salient issues (ethics, access, engagement, etc.) and provides actual examples of research projects (see Appendices 1, 2 and 3 for extended illustration of research practice) that have been conducted with children – how they were planned, how the research was designed, how consent was achieved, how the data was collated, the way in which the data was analysed and the `equipment’ used to facilitate the process.

There is a need for this book as there are an increasing number of students who choose to research with and write about children for a variety of courses and often their final-year dissertations. The research environment in relation to children and `young people’ is contentious and students are often unsure how to progress their ideas. However, children are an interesting and tempting group with which to conduct research. This book will guide novice researchers in terms of what they must do in relation to research planning and design and provides clear and concise guidelines as to how to approach the salient issues (ethics, access, engagement, etc.). For more experienced researchers, the book provides new and innovative approaches to facilitating research (specifically with adolescents – see Chapter 9) and will detail the way which greater insight can be generated with regard to topical child and adolescent related issues. This text will also facilitate the role of dissertation supervisors and project managers.

The complexities of researching with children and adolescents are be explored. Research guidelines and professional codes of conduct are provided and illustration of how to follow these guidelines will be given. `Equipment’ to facilitate research with children will be explored and help on developing the `topic’ to be researched will be posited. Research design (consent, the role of experts, gatekeepers, teachers, ethics committees etc.) will be discussed. Interpretation of data will be examined and how to present the data will also be included. What to do once the research project is completed is also to be addressed. The book will cut through jargon and will be clear and concise in terms of what is appropriate when researching with children and how to achieve the greatest insight or understanding in relation to the chosen topic. This book, however, will not be appropriate for those researching highly sensitive issues in relation to children (e.g. mortality, abuse, etc.) where the highly experienced and well trained researchers in this area will follow their own very specific codes of practice in relation to these areas of vulnerability.
Although this text is designed to be easily accessible, the gravity of the principles of researching with children should mirror those observed (albeit in a more complex manner) across disciplines. As the practice of researching with children can vary in health, business, education, sociology and social work, researchers in different disciplines have the opportunity here to learn from one another (see for example: Richardson and McMullan, 2007). This text, whilst comprehensive, does not claim to be exhaustive on researching with children and further reading is both suggested and recommended throughout.

This chapter specifically will dispel any myths the reader has about researching with children and will ensure that the (novice) researcher seriously considers the implications of working with this unique group. It will also differentiate between children and adolescents and will address the key concepts relative to the child, including socialisation and development. It will also help the researcher when deciding on a research topic and/ or exploring the nature of the research project to be undertaken. Having decided on or having considered the research topic to be explored, the way in which aims and objectives can be developed will be addressed. Finally preparing to research with children will be summarised.