Introduction to The Ethics of Research Involving Children: Common Questions, Potential Strategies and Useful Guidance

This series of guidance papers – The Ethics of Research Involving Children: Common Questions, Potential Strategies and Useful Guidance – offers tailored commentary and links to useful resources to assist those undertaking research relating to children and childhood. The six papers have been developed in conjunction with the University of Liverpool Research Ethics Committee, by academic members of the European Children’s Rights Unit (ECRU), an interdisciplinary research unit based within the School of Law and Social Justice with a specific expertise in research involving children. Children and Childhood is a major research theme, led by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and spanning the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Nurturing expertise in child-related research is also a key priority at University level, as part of its Starting Well, Living Well and Ageing Well theme. There are over 150 researchers across the University actively engaged in child-related research, each with distinct disciplinary and methodological approaches, but who share common ethical and methodological consideration points.

These guidance papers address some of these ethical issues and identify strategies to assist researchers in preparing and implementing ethically robust methodologies, particularly when conducting qualitative research with children. They are intended as a basic resource for all researchers at any level who are grappling with different ethical questions, with a view to encouraging thoughtful and rigorous ethics planning and supporting research of the utmost integrity. In that sense, these briefings are not concerned simply with ensuring minimum standards of research ethics; they are about encouraging researchers to interrogate established approaches, innovate in ways that are appropriate for any given project, and achieve the highest possible standards within what are often challenging and unpredictable research contexts. While our focus is on children, the guidance papers should provide useful tips and materials to inform all empirical research with adults generally and potentially vulnerable participants specifically.

This paper is Guidance Paper 1 in the series.