Ethical standards are critically
important when conducting research with young children and other vulnerable
populations. Some key points are:
- Research procedures must never
harm children, physically or psychologically.
- Children and their
families have the right to full information about the research in which
they may participate, including possible risks and benefits. Their
decision to participate must be based on what is called "informed
consent."
- All those who receive
federal funds for research must use specific informed consent procedures
with research participants.
- Children’s questions about
the research should be answered in ways children can understand.
- Children and their
families have the right to refuse to participate in research or to
withdraw from participating at any time.
- Information obtained
through research with children should remain confidential. Researchers
should not disclose personal information or the identity of participants
in written or oral reports and discussions.
Further understanding of
ethical issues in research may be found in the following resources:
NAEYC’s
Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment
presents general ethical principles, although it does not specifically discuss
research with children.
The National Institutes of
Health (NIH) provides guidance on ethical research practices for children (the
NIH definition of "children" extends to age 21). These practices are recognized
by all universities. The standards set by the NIH guide the vast majority of
federally-funded research. Information is available at the Office of Extramural
Research (OER) web site at grants1.nih.gov/grants/policy/hs/index.htm.
The Society for Research in
Child Development (SRCD) has developed Ethical Standards for Research with
Children.
The Ethical Standards of the
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
include guidelines for research with children.
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