What are key ethical considerations in online research with children? (2024)

Researchers need to consider how children and young people who are active online can find information about their research projects and make informed decisions about whether or not they want to participate. Researchers should also consider how this information can be provided to children and young people of different ages. Using animated film is one practical solution that researchers can use for this purpose. This can support researchers in communicating complex information about rights and responsibilities in the context of research to children and young people. The animated film that we have produced as part of the CO:RE film can be useful in this regard.

Researchers will also need to ensure that they secure the informed consent of all children and young people whom they wish to engage in online research. In many cases, researchers will also need to secure the informed consent of the legal guardians of children and young people who are under 16 years of age. Requirements in this regard vary from country to country and researchers will therefore need to ascertain what applies in the jurisdiction in which they are operating. Related to this, researchers will need to consider whether and how they can verify the identity and age of their research participants. This is not always a straightforward process in online research where users can mask their identity and age relatively easily.

A number of research articles point to the fact that online recruitment can facilitate access to communities of internet users that are otherwise hard to reach, such as young people from minority backgrounds, LGBTQ youth, or communities of users who engage in risky online behaviour. While this can be the case, researchers should also consider how the online research context might influence their interactions with these children and young people. They should also devise strategies to support the ethical involvement of these people in the research process.

Researchers should take care to explain the aims and objectives of their research project to potential participants during recruitment. The kind of information to be provided should be age appropriate and in a language and format that children understand.

It is also very important that children and young people understand what is expected of them in the research process. Researchers should take the time to explain what methods they will use and how they wish to interact with children and young people during the course of the research. Children and young people have a right to ask for clarification if they do not understand what researchers are telling them, and researchers should be prepared to provide these clarifications using examples and illustrations where relevant.

Researchers should also consider what kind of participation they can expect from children and young people of different ages, competences and abilities. Not all children and young people may be able to participate in research to the same degree, or in the same way. While respecting this, researchers should develop strategies to ensure that children and young people can participate to the best of their abilities and respecting their interests. This might include developing different approaches to eliciting research data, including co-creation workshops, creative methods, photo elicitation and more.

Researchers should also take care to build rapport and relationships with children and young people which will support their participation and help them to feel that they can ask questions if they are unsure about what is expected of them. Particular care should be taken to support vulnerable children and young people to participate in research. Children and young people should also be reminded of their rights in the research context, including their right to withdraw from research if they wish to do so, without any negative consequences. Researchers should be able to explain to children and young people how they can do this.