Young People’s Involvement in Research

Working with young people on research projects means we need to consider many elements of research methodology and approach. This article draws on the experience of the author and other writers to consider how young people’s involvement in research challenges current practice and influences research and researchers. It explores critically why so little has actually changed and seeks to identify future changes that need to happen, raising some important questions about the nature of research — its purpose and ideology. It concludes that in order for young people’s active involvement in research to develop, we need to explore some crucial questions through a mutual interchange and dialogue between all researchers committed to participative research and youth participation advocates to ensure that both the inner and outer science dimensions of young people’s research are given due attention.