Reviews the experience of involving children in research projects based on case studies drawn from the Care and Protection of Separated Children in Emergencies initiative of the Save the Children Alliance. The report focuses on three areas: 1) the different ways in which children are utilized in research, including as informants, as participants in identifying research objectives and research sites and in analyzing data, as data-collection assistants, and as a reference group for testing key conclusions; 2) factors that need to be addressed when involving children in research, including selecting participants of the appropriate age and gender, allowing sufficient time to develop the research tools, plan and implement the research, and analyze the data, gaining community acceptance of the involvement of children in the research, balancing the children’s roles as both researchers and respondents, matching children’s education and language skills with the research strategy, and recognizing the diversity of children’s experiences; 3) and ethical considerations, including obtaining informed consent, establishing safeguards for children, avoiding raising expectations for change that cannot be guaranteed, and encouraging children to express themselves freely. The case studies demonstrate that children’s participation in research can both shed light on familiar issues and highlight new areas for attention.
