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Developing a model for participation by children in research on decision making

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

Jan Mason  and
Robert Urquhart
Jan Mason
Affiliation:
Childhood & Youth Policy Research Unit, University of Western Sydney, Macarthur. Email: jan.mason@uws.edu.au
Robert Urquhart
Affiliation:
Social Justice and Research Program, UnitingCare Burnside. Email: rurquhart@burnside.org.au
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Abstract

This paper outlines a three-year collaborative research project which aims to involve children and young people, as well as other stakeholders, in exploring strategies to meet the needs of children in care. In this paper we identify some research findings which indicate the importance of children participating in the defining of their needs in care, if these needs are to be responded to more effectively than has been the case in the past. We describe the aims of our three-year project and identify some of the methodological issues of implementing stage one of the project in terms of children’s participation. A conceptual framework is developed to clarify issues related to children’s participation in research and decision making and as a basis for deciding on appropriate research methods to employ in the first stage. Rather than merely outlining the work we have so far undertaken, we have insteadfocussed on reflecting on and analysing the theoretical and methodological challenges to researchers in implementing collaborative and participatory research in decision making with children.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 26 , Issue 4 , 2001 , pp. 16 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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