This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Barker, J. Articles by Weller, S. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Geography of Methodological Issues in Research with Children

Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Brunel University, john.barker{at}brunel.ac.uk

Susie Weller

Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Brunel University, susan.weller{at}brunel.ac.uk

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the methodologies used in research with children. Geographers have contributed to the growing body of research that highlights that children are not simply passive objects dependent on adults, but are competent social actors that make sense of and actively contribute to their environment. The growing trend to conceptualize children as social actors has profound implications for geographical research with children, most notably the development of more `inclusive' and participatory research agendas and children-centred methodologies. In this article, we draw upon two ongoing postgraduate research projects with children to discuss our experiences of adopting such innovative children-centred research practices and methodologies. In particular, we focus upon the contribution that a specifically geographical approach can make to the wider interdisciplinary debates about children-centred research. Therefore, we discuss the importance of recognizing the spatiality of research with children, and highlight the significance of the geography of methodological issues, by exploring the significance of both the spaces in which we conduct our research, and the spaces at the centre of our research. We also discuss issues concerning the representation of children in the process of dissemination.

Key Words: children • children-centred research • children's geographies • reflexivity

Qualitative Research, Vol. 3, No. 2, 207-227 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/14687941030032004


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Dockett, J. Einarsdottir, and B. Perry researching with children: ethical tensions Journal of Early Childhood Research, October 1, 2009; 7(3): 283 - 298. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. A. Carnevale, M. E. Macdonald, M. Bluebond-Langner, and P. McKeever Using participant observation in pediatric health care settings: ethical challenges and solutions J Child Health Care, March 1, 2008; 12(1): 18 - 32. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Driessnack Draw-and-Tell Conversations With Children About Fear Qual Health Res, December 1, 2006; 16(10): 1414 - 1435. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B. Stevens, P. McKeever, M. P. Law, M. Booth, M. Greenberg, S. Daub, A. Gafni, J. Gammon, J. Yamada, and I. Epstein Children Receiving Chemotherapy at Home: Perceptions of Children and Parents Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, September 1, 2006; 23(5): 276 - 285. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. Darbyshire, C. MacDougall, and W. Schiller Multiple methods in qualitative research with children: more insight or just more? Qualitative Research, November 1, 2005; 5(4): 417 - 436. [Abstract] [PDF]

				I. Epstein, J. Stinson, and B. Stevens The Effects of Camp on Health-Related Quality of Life in Children With Chronic Illnesses: A Review of the Literature Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, March 1, 2005; 22(2): 89 - 103. [Abstract] [PDF]