discussion on ethics in youth led research

 Kafisis (2010) observations on implied consent were useful (any researcher should not assume anything), and the transparency of research methods is also a necessary part of any legitimate scientific research. The relative anonymity (albeit limited over time) of online studies took away a lot of the hierarchy and power distance that is my biggest concern in adult research on children.  

Leonard’s (2007) article in Best’s (2007) book spells out my most pressing concern with adult research work on youth. The gatekeeper phenomenon is created in the inherent power imbalance in the adult researcher and children divide. Leonard clarifies that the gatekeeping can keep children quiet during the first few stages of the research. Gatekeepers have the power to permit or restrict the access “to people or situations for the purposes of research.” (p. 135) According to Leonard, trust and rapport need to be created, built and strengthened “at a number of different levels.” (p. 135) This trust and rapport building practice is to avoid a reemergence of the power distance.  Its interesting to point out that one of the good practices Leonard points out is a continual review of consent to ensure that children remain willing to be involved.  

Delgado (2010) takes the power struggle a step further. According to Delgado there is even a power struggle between the youth doing the research and the youth being studied.  “Effort must be made throughout the research endeavor to identify power differentials and help youth recognize these situations and develop appropriate ways to redress them.” (p. 86) This might require additional time and effort to the research process, but this step may well be crucial to all youth led research processes.  To address this I would facilitate problems solving conversations that would focus on how to ensure all youth have equal say in the research process.   

According to this weeks chapter in Dimitradis, (2008) the assumed drastic power imbalance between adult researcher can be alleviated by using youth led or youth participatory action research (YPAR) methods. Where youth take up the position of researchers and use their own observations and experiences as well as those of their peers as the primary data collection.  This data collection empowers youth at least for as long as their research is being done and is one of the most effective methods for bridging the power gap between youth and adults.  It empowers them as Dimitradis (2008) explains having youth lead research it “de-parochialize(s)” research. (p. 125) Taking research away from the “elite” adult researchers, making research a “much more universal elementary and improvable capacity.”  (p. 125) This youth led aspect, plus the conversation on equality of power mentioned above, both addresses how I would solve the power distance issue in my hypothetical evaluations research project on a youth service program at a library.