Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research Volume 2: The Researcher Toolkit

This guide, Steps to Engaging Children in Research: The Researcher Toolkit and Methods in Context, complements the first volume of this pair: Steps to Engaging Young Children in Research Volume 1: The Guide [See related summaries below]. The first volume provides a six-step process for designing research, along with case studies to illustrate the application of the design process. "These have been developed to assist researchers to design research which is ethical, sensitive to the needs of the children and communities involved, and that is engaging for young children. These steps suggest an initial process of reviewing capabilities, developing ethical protocols and building trust and relationships."

This toolkit contains a collection of "Methods in Context", which provides a number of "examples of methods successfully used in research with young children. This will support researchers to identify and trial different methods in their context to answer their research questions." It is divided into six separate, though interlinking, clusters:

• Gaining Consent and Developing Trust
• Interviews and Discussion
• Child-led Tours and in-Situ
• Visual Free Expression
• Structured Visuals
• Drama and Performance.

The toolkit emphasises flexibility, collaboration, and the extension and sharing of a community of practice. "Detailed descriptions of how methods have been applied in different contexts are included in the Researcher Toolkit. These show how methods have been applied in a range of countries and settings so that researchers can get ideas of innovative tools and how they may be suited to their needs. Detailed methods discussed include clay modeling in South Africa, the use of medical dolls in Canada, child-led tours around slums in India, and drawing ecograms and wearing alien masks in Scotland."

Contents include:

• Acronyms
• Contents
• Introduction to the Researcher Toolkit and Resource
• The Six Steps for Engaging Young Children in Research
• Introduction to Methods for Engaging Young Children in Research
• Building Trust and Relationships
• Gaining Consent
• Making Interviews More Engaging
• Child-led Tours and In-situ Methods
• Visuals for Free Expression
• Visuals with Structures and Templates
• Performance and Narrative
• Play and Games
• Detailed Examples of the Use of Methods
• Building Trust and Relationships
• Gaining Consent
• Working with others: Children’s Self Assessment of Skills
• In-situ Methods and Child-led Tours
• Visuals for Free Expression
• Structured Visuals
• Performance and Narrative
• Play and Games
• Combined Methods
• Linking to the Researcher Resource