A hierarchical model of children’s research participation rights based on information, understanding, voice, and influence

ABSTRACT

This paper introduces a hierarchical model of children’s (3- to 8-year olds) research participation rights that builds on work by Roger Hart and integrates key participation rights drawn from UNCRC Article 12: information, understanding, voice, and influence. It provides insight into the various levels of information that can be provided to children, the understanding that results, the scope given to them to express their views, and the degree to which their voices ultimately exert influence in research contexts. Each of these four elements plays a unique role in upholding and enhancing children’s rights in research and emphasises the need for rights to be woven into the fabric of a research project from its conception. Considering children’s rights of research participation in a more integrated manner, as suggested by the hierarchy, has the potential to improve participation experiences for children and to value them as citizens with meaningful rights.

KEYWORDS:

• Research participation rights
• hierarchical model
• rights-based research
• participation
• early childhood

Acknowledgement

The opinions expressed in the article are those of the researchers and should not be attributed to the funding body.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Fiona Mayne http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3451-4857

Christine Howitt http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7125-9496

Léonie J. Rennie http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0962-0260

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council Linkage [grant number LP110200756] to Dr Christine J. Howitt and Professor Léonie J. Rennie, in partnership with Scitech and Rio Tinto.