Ethics in child research: rights, reason and responsibilities

Abstract

This paper explores the nature of the relationship between research ethics and children's rights by examining the historical origins of both concepts and then analysing several contemporary research ethics guidelines from a rights-based perspective. The analysis demonstrates that while many research ethics guidelines may contain references to human rights principles, implicit or otherwise, there is often a lack definition about what is meant by ‘rights’ and about the correlation between human rights principles and research ethics in practice. Within social sciences research, in particular, research ethics guidelines, including those guidelines specific to child research, noticeably lack direct reference to human rights principles such as those articulated within the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The paper argues that as child researchers do not stand apart from their obligations to protect and promote children's rights, research ethics guidelines relied upon by child researchers need to be informed by human rights principles and that those researchers may draw upon the UNCRC, in particular, to inform their consideration of inevitable ethical dilemmas arising within child research.